To Trust a Werewolf
by sioux343
Summary: Sophie was only suppose to come in for Bella's wedding and then leave. A simple vacation that has turned her life around completely. How is it possible that she ended up living in the claustrophobic town of La Push with werewolves? Embry/OC
1. Because of Creme Cakes

This town was strange

This town was strange.

That was my first thought as I raised my sunglasses onto my head, mostly because I didn't need them, but also because I wanted to get the full onslaught of what Forks really looked like. And it was strange. It was so... quaint. Yeah, that was a good word for it, it was quaint. It looked like it was pulled straight out of an old movie. This quiet little town on the edge of the country probably would never be any place I could ever want to live. I looked to my aunt, well, step-aunt, and her black expression showed me that she and I were of like minds.

"I know, Sophie. It's exactly how I remember it," she sighed and her dark hair spilled into her face while she sped up to continue driving down what looked like the only paved road in the community. I couldn't remember the reason now why I agreed to come on this goddamn trip in the first place. Oh yeah, I was forced. I groaned and flipped my sunglasses back down. Who cares if they were unnecessary, they were designer and that's all that really mattered anyway. They were for others to envy, not to literally block the sun as was their purpose.

My aunt's hand found my knee and she patted it daintily. "Don't worry. We'll be in and out of here in no time. Bella will get married and then we'll go right back to Florida where we belong. Your uncle won't even have time to miss us!" She had an odd way of putting it. It was like she wasn't stressed at all that her only daughter was getting married at eighteen. Who in there right mind would get married that young is beyond me. I mean my Uncle Phil said that my step-cousin Bella was a nice girl who I should look up to, but the only reason I could think of for her getting married is if she was in a sort of 'dilemma'. As in a pregnancy. So why he thought it was a good idea for me to spend time with her was beyond me as well. Maybe I wasn't as smart as my grades reflected.

Whatever, I just couldn't wait to go back to my boarding school as soon as my two week suspension was over. Never again would I listen to my friends. Never. I don't care how much fun sneaking out and joy riding into the nearest town to go clubbing is, it's not worth the torture. I mean, being with my Uncle Phil and Aunt Renee was fun, that wasn't so bad, no the bad part was when they were the ones to come pick me up at school to bring me home for two weeks instead of my actual parents. The guidance counselor gave me this _look_, this sad I-pity-you-because-your-parents-are-to-busy-for-you _look_. It almost made me want to get violent with the woman, but I couldn't very well do that without earning _another_ two week suspension at least. So I just did what I knew best. I sneered at her and walked away with my head held high. Yet, my parents still hadn't called me. So in the end I guess the counselor won. At least _she_ doesn't know that though. Well, this brief vacation inside of a vacation couldn't be that bad, right? It couldn't be.

Hm, yes, yes it could.

We pulled off the main highway following a path that I kept saying to myself couldn't be a road, but it was, and it lead to a big house. The biggest structure I'd seen thus far and I jumped out of the rent-a-car as soon as it was in park. I just had to get out; it felt like the small borders of this town were closing in on me, suffocating me. I couldn't breathe physically and figuratively. I'd never been claustrophobic, but I think I was developing the disease at a rapid speed. I'd always been in_ cities_. As in extremely populated areas where humans decide to conjugate to interact with each other and have running water and electricity. What was this? I was so busy being befuddled that I hadn't noticed that we had an audience and the introductions were now upon me because it seemed I had zoned out on all the happy welcomes and hellos while I tried to steady my breathing.

"Bella, everyone, this is Phil's niece, Sophie. His older sister's daughter. She wanted to come along and help. Phil's sorry he couldn't be here so he's sent her in his stead," my aunt laughed nervously as she skipped over the part where I was forced to be here against my will and that the only thing from keeping me running and screaming in the other direction was because I had a certain fondness for my new aunt and because I couldn't drive yet. Aunt Renee was cool to talk to. She really was, so much better than my mother, who I know for a fact never listened to one conversation I had with her.

Suddenly, my eyes popped and the faces staring back at me came into focus finally. All of them, all of them were so pale, so beautiful. Why in the Hell were they hiding out in these fucking woods looking like _that?_ Their features were so sharp and calculated, like they were made from a scientist with a math formula. They stood completely still and they smiled tentatively. As if they didn't want me to be frightened. How could I be, their smiles made them all the more gorgeous, especially the tall blond girl. My mouth dropped and the least attractive girl, who was still relatively pretty, stepped forward, untangling herself from this gorgeous man, to reach out and greet me. She resembled Aunt Renee so much, like a little replica, and I knew instantly that _this_ was Bella, but I could tell she was much more reserved than her mother could ever be. Bella was like this town, quaint. She fit right in here I bet.

8888888888

I know it's not polite to stare, but I seriously couldn't help it! It had been hours and I still couldn't get over this house and its occupants. I gaped and swallowed at the luxury they lived in, almost like my own house. I really was floored and a bit quieter in this place than anywhere I had been before. I just didn't want to disturb the peace and sanctity of this huge open house. I figured if they could live like this, then maybe it's just the outer appearance of the town that makes it seem small. Unfortunately, when I voiced this idea, Bella looked at me and slowly shook her head.

"The Cullens are the only ones who are... er… rich," Bella finished lamely.

I followed her into a room, our arms littered with wedding decorations, before we set them on the bed. Almost as soon as I had stepped through the front door the small brunette hustled me into chores. I was constantly being asked to 'hold this' and 'put that over there'. Now, I don't necessarily 'work' like this at home or school, in fact I've never even fixed my own plate of food in my life. It's always been served to me from the cook or my nanny. I just never had any chores or duties because no one made me, but I found myself actually listening to this beautiful girl. Her melodic voice made it seem as if I wanted to do it myself, instead of her telling me too. It was all so odd. I felt like I was being put under a spell, a spell that only broke after her golden eyes left mine, and by that time I was already half way through what needed to be done. It was unnerving and psychotic at the same time.

"You know what I miss? Those little crème cakes they served at the bakery on the corner!" my Aunt Renee gushed to the groom's mom. Or adopted mom, or whatever she was. They had told me the story briefly, but I could hardly pay attention. Could you really blame me though? The day was a bit overwhelming, in the physical sense. It was the most work I'd done my whole life. "I had them for my wedding! Oh, Bella wouldn't that be wonderful if we had that one thing in common?"

"_Mom_. The wedding is tomorrow," Bella groaned, but Mrs. Cullen perked up at that idea. She agreed readily, much to Bella's dismay.

"Would that count as something borrowed then?" I asked in general.

"I don't think so…," the short brunette, who I found out, was actually named Alice, said to me as her brows furrowed slightly. "The only problem is they closed down the bakery here, but I do believe they sell those cakes just down the road."

"As in… La Push?" Bella said, swallowing hard as her eyes darted into the other room where the men were working.

"But that's not far, if I remember correctly," my Aunt Renee insisted as she squinted trying hard to remember her past here once. I understood. I would repress any memories from this town too.

"No, it's not," Mrs. Cullen said quietly.

"Great! Let's order them," Renee said, sporadically clapping her hands together. And that's the reason why I was alone, driving, something I'd never done before in my life, along the main highway out to this town called La Push to pick up our order of crème cakes.

Well it wasn't exactly the reason, but it factored a great deal into why I was about to die an early death in a horrible collision. Mainly though, no one else wanted to go get the cakes, which was so odd. I mean, I would have volunteered right away when the baker said we could pick them up immediately, just to get out of that house after hours and hours of preparing. Only, I knew I couldn't because I had no idea how to drive. Well, one by one volunteers dropped like flies. Alice claimed she was the wedding director and couldn't leave, Mrs. Cullen said that she had to go and make room for the extra addition to the menu, Renee thought it was essential for her to be present as well, all the men were working in the garden where the wedding would be, and Bella sulked out shaking her sadly saying she couldn't go as well.

"Pre-wedding jitters," my Aunt confided in me before tossing the keys in my direction. I caught them and looked up at her in surprise. "Just be careful." Either one, she'd lost her ever-loving mind, or two, she'd forgotten I'm fifteen and without even a permit. Shit, I'd never even been in the driver's seat of a car. Seriously. It took me twenty minutes just tinkering around with the pedals and different drives to get out of the yard. Luckily, I'm not a complete idiot when it comes to automobiles. I do know the big pedal is the brake and that D means drive. It's just a lot to handle all at one time, especially steering.

So there I was, going under 20 mph in a 55 mph speed zone trying to follow the swirling road without swerving into the dense undergrowth. The pile-up of people behind me got increasingly worse as the time and miles dripped by. Then the honking started. _Well, I suppose going a tiny bit faster wouldn't be that bad. _I crouched protectively over the steering wheel, squinting into the clouded sky trying to decipher whether this was where I was supposed to be or not. Maybe La Push is bigger than Forks; maybe they have at least four-story office buildings or something. The first few houses I passed leading into the town were not promising. I sighed.

The bakery was easy to spot, right on the corner of the first main intersection in the small town. Now I just had to turn in and park. I gulped and slowly pulled into the yellow lines, two set of yellow lines. I put the car in park and hopped out to examine my handy work. I'd managed to park our small Honda accord horizontally into two parking spaces. That was a feat in itself. All in all it could have been worse. I could have actually hit someone while pulling in. Another thing that favored me was that the parking lot was deserted of cars.

I tripped along to the sidewalk before stopping abruptly to double back and actually turn the car off. I laughed in disbelief before entering the store. It's not big at all, almost the size of my room, my _dorm_ room, at school. It was plain with wooden walls and a display case at the front where the register sat. The bell taped to the top of the door jingled in response to my entrance and a worn old man with an olive complexion walked out of the back to the front counter. He wiped his hands on his apron before smiling at me.

"What can I do for you miss?"

"Ah, I'm here to pick up crème cakes?" I asked unsure, looking behind me, before I remembered that I was utterly alone. It was truly disconcerting; I realized just then that I'd never done anything alone, _ever_. Never in my life had I been set free into the wilderness of the world, figuratively speaking, to do something all by myself.

"Certainly. You'd be the one who called earlier right?" the old man grinned through his beard and I nodded, blowing my bangs out of my eyes. "Give me one moment," he told me cheerfully before hopping to the back of the store. I fidgeted nervously with my aunt's credit card, twisting it and turning it back and forth in my hand. I couldn't explain my twitchy behavior, because I'd always had a credit card with my name on it since the age of eight. It wasn't like I was scared to use it or anything, I was just… jumpy. Maybe it was the fact that this one wasn't my own platinum card I was used to, but mostly I'm sure it was because of the awful place I was in. It was doing something to my nerves, like shooting them to Hell. I was wound so tightly I thought I might snap at any moment and drive the car to the airport. It wasn't such a bad idea. I mean, I liked Bella and all, I just had a serious problem, a phobia if you will, about everything around me right at that moment. I had no idea why.

"Here we go," the man said as he piled four boxes in two columns on the counter. He told me the price and swiped the card. "Thank you so much," he called to me as I took the first column of boxes outside and that's when I realized my car had a boot on it. An iron clip that was fastened to the back left tire. I placed the boxes carefully on the back seat and then slammed the car door with force, groaning loudly. How the Hell was I going to explain this one to Aunt Renee?

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!" I yelled to no one in particular, kicking the boot and practically breaking my foot in the process. I howled in pain and clutched at it, jumping up and down before leaning against the frame of the car. I sighed again and blew heavenwards as my bangs jumped with the updraft of air.

"Problem?" came a deep, pleasant voice on the other side of the car. I wheeled around to see one of the tallest people I'd ever seen in my life. He was olive complexioned as well, with dark eyes and nearly black hair.

"Y-yeah," I stuttered and pointed down at the iron boot. Well, so much for not talking to strangers. The tall man walked around to peer at exactly what I was talking about.

"Hm. Looks like the police are getting a little stricter these days," he murmured as he rubbed the stubble on his chin.

"Strict? I was here for only five minutes!" I burst out in anger and huffed as his eyes swiveled over my features.

"New in town?" he asked me lightly, and I nodded. "Well, I suppose that it won't hurt if I do this _just_ once," he muttered, as if trying to console some war waging in his conscience. I just stared up at him. Literally, I felt as if I had to tilt my head up at a 90 degree angle just to see his face. At my 5'3 and a half it looked as if he could stomp on me. "Did you leave something in the store?" he asked me, widening his eyes as if trying to convey something to me. I didn't exactly get it, but he_ was_ right, mysteriously, I did leave the other boxes on the counter.

"Yeah! Be back in a minute," I snapped my fingers and ran into the store, gathering up the cakes and then walking back to the car. By the time I got back the boot was gone. The tall man was sitting on his haunches, still inspecting my tire. When he saw me, he stood up and smiled easily. "There, fixed it."

"How did you do that?" I gasped in disbelief and very nearly dropped the boxes I was holding. I had been so convinced I was completely screwed, that I'd have to call for a ride home.

"Don't worry about it. The police have been putting boots on people's cars because no one's been paying the tickets they give out, and our police department's so disorganized that they can't remember who has or hasn't paid in the first place," he dipped his left eye down slowly at me in a wink before smiling briefly. "By the way, nice parking job," he gestured with his thumb towards my car.

Yes, yes, very funny. I pursed my lips and bit my tongue from spitting back a sarcastic response. He did help me out and all. Instead, I hunched over to place the boxes of cakes in the back seat with the others when a new deep voice entered the commodity.

"Everything okay Jared? I heard someone howling and yelling from miles away!" the voice said as a teasing manner slipped into his tone.

"It's fine Embry, just police business," my rescuer replied in nonchalance and I slammed the door shut looking at exactly who this new man was. He was even taller than my rescuer. He had the same dark complexion and dark eyes. I was beginning to see a pattern here. But once I looked closer I could see that his hair was different. The new man's hair was glossy and a deep brown. His face was more angular and pointed.

"I'm okay," I assured the new man, "just my foot isn't." I smiled and when I met his eyes they suddenly widened and sidled out of focus. I cocked my head to the side as the new man shivered uncontrollably from head to toe.

"Embry!" Jared, my rescuer, hollered and ran over to place a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"Is he epileptic?" I asked in surprise and took a step back, completely weirded out.

Then, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. The man called Embry looked haggard and out of it as he leaned against Jared for support.

"Oh no, why now, man?" Jared sighed wiping the back of his hand against his forehead before looking towards me with awe. "This is not good," he stated gravely, looking to Embry then back to me again. "This is not good," he repeated.

My face scrunched up in confusion before I looked towards Embry. His head was tilted and he was leaning towards me as if he just wanted to run, tackle, and ravage me on the spot. I freaked, I'll admit it. I opened my car door and jumped in with speed I never knew I possessed before fumbling with the keys to start the car. I slammed it into reverse and hit the accelerator with unnecessary force. Embry and Jared had to jump out of my way as I hurtled backwards before remembering to brake. I switched gears and as I did so Embry jumped against the door on the opposite side banging against it as if his life depended on it. I gasped and dashed out of the creepy town like there was no tomorrow, and the way I was swerving there might not be, but I didn't care. I had to get out of there. No wonder I was so fidgety, that town was full of epileptics and magicians. If I never had to see that place again I would not be sorry. I took a deep breath when I realized I must have reached the town limits. The small houses that had littered the highway signaling the entrance into La Push were far behind me. I should have been ecstatic, but I was only feeling nervous and slightly unhinged. For instance, I could have sworn I heard mournful howls in the distance. Nothing made sense anymore. Nothing at all. The only true reasoning I had was that I needed to get out of this place, and fast. Tomorrow could not come soon enough.


	2. Meeting You

A/N: I'd like to take this time to do the disclaimer

**A/N: I'd like to take this time to do the disclaimer. Of course I don't own this. Any of it. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read it. I've all the sudden had an obsession of writing this story like, I could barely sleep because I had to get this all out. So I wrote like seven straight chapters and I have three other fan fiction stories to write, but I really like this one for some reason? Ok. Rant over. Read on.**

I let out a deep sigh as the wedding was finally over. It was done with and now I only had the reception before I could leave tomorrow. It wasn't that bad all in all. The day had passed by smoothly with relatively no little hiccups. I'm serious; if anything had happened today I would have jetted at that moment without thinking about any form of consequence. I came home yesterday visibly shaken and even though I think Alice gave me a weird look nothing else seemed to pass out of the ordinary. Maybe it was just La Push that was out of the ordinary.

It didn't matter now though because I could practically smell the humid air of Florida just in my grasp. I glanced around as the people of Forks swarmed about to congratulate the newly married couple who were beaming. I sighed, it really was a sweet ceremony and it looked like Bella and her new husband were devoted to each other. Maybe Uncle Phil was right, maybe Bella was this nice girl who had a good head on her shoulders, but that's not what I wanted. My new step-cousin's priorities were so far from my own that it was ridiculous. I wanted nothing more than to lounge around all my life and have everything handed to me, which has basically happened. Bella was fine living in this small town and being married for the rest of her life. That's what I call 'baggage'. She was chained to her husband for all eternity even though he was gorgeous; so what if they wake up and realize they didn't like each other in the first place? That they would rather travel and become worldly? Yeah, can't do it, buddy. I suppose there's always divorce though. That's a cheerful thought at a wedding.

I stepped around people, so many faces I hadn't seen before, and headed straight for the waiter holding the champagne glasses on a tray. I picked one up deftly, walking off before he could say anything to me. I sat down at the table that my Aunt Renee had claimed and sipped cautiously on the drink surveying everyone here. I knew quite literally no one and they didn't seem to open and welcoming if you asked me, but that was a small town for you. Everyone knew everyone all ready, who needs strangers? I tapped my foot to the beat of the music as it started to play and suddenly a dark figure caught my eye. I turned my head towards the shadow that was impeding my light to see yet _another_ tall man with an olive complexion. He was staring down at me as if he'd just won the lottery.

"Let me guess, you're from La Push, right?" I half-yelled to him over the music and he nodded in agreement before taking an uninvited seat next to me.

"Seth Clearwater." He told me brightly holding his hand out in greeting.

"Nice to meet you Seth Clearwater." I stated back politely before turning away from him pointedly. I was not in the mood for overly thrilled people.

"So what's your name?" He asked trying to seem… uninterested maybe? He stretched his long, gangly frame out against the back of the chair before moving his entire body closer to me.

"Sophie." I admitted grudgingly sweeping the few strands of loose hair behind my ear.

"So… why are you here?"

"Why are _you_ here?" I bit back in an offended tone and he flinched before leaning his head to one side to crack his neck, as if trying not to get to angry. Then he tried a different approach.

"I'm sorry that was rude. I just wanted to know if you knew the bride or groom."

"The bride." I told him before taking a sip of champagne again. My mother always said a lady does not chug alcohol at social events, but the way this conversation was going that rule was about to be thrown out the window. Seth let out a deep breath of air and shook his head with relief. I eyed him down warily. Something wasn't right with these La Push kids.

"So how old are you?" Seth began again with a start and I set my flute down completely annoyed now.

"What government agency are you from? The FBI?" I smarted wrinkling up my nose with aggravation.

"No, it's just that you're drinking champagne so I was thinking that maybe you're around nineteen or twenty." He laughed happily before giving my body a serious appraisal with his eyes. He smirked.

"I'm fifteen." I replied and his dark eyes bugged out of his head.

"No way!"

"Does age matter that much to you?" I asked him uncertainly as he nearly convulsed with amusement and surprise.

"Actually, it doesn't matter at all." He murmured and then slapped his knee laughing at what he thought I'm sure was a great joke, yeah _not_. I looked at him with confusion and he just waved his hand at me as if waving the matter far away from here. "You're drinking champagne though?"

"And…"

"Well, you're a bit young." He confessed with raised eyebrows, his smile still stayed planted on his face.

"No one's ever stopped me before." I said honestly and gulped down the rest of the drink in one mouthful. Seth looked at the empty glass then at me with appreciation.

"Your parents don't care?" He asked me truly curious. His face was scrunched up like he was doing a math puzzle and I just had to laugh out loud. For all his questions, he was endearing.

"Not in the slightest." I shrug as his eyes widen again.

"They sound awesome!"

"That's debatable." I tell him gravely before sweeping another glass off an unsuspecting waiter behind me. If that's the new direction the conversation's going in, then I'm going to need a lot more of these. I offer him the drink, but he puts his hand up and shakes his head with a grimace.

"Can't." he replies gruffly.

"Parents?" I try to sympathize with this strange boy, I really do. He's starting to grow on me, at least in the entertainment department.

"You could say that." He told me laughing at another one of his own private jokes. Really though, if he was going to go and be his own comedian in his own little world then that was fine, but don't bring out your material when there are other's in the conversation. I just don't get the jokes, but I don't think he'd let me in even if I asked him. I'm not a very nosy person anyway; information just comes to me without having to do anything.

"So, Seth, did you come over here to ask me to dance or find out my social security number to steal my identity?" He truly laughed at my question forthright. He was cracking up and shook his head before looking at me with his dark eyes.

"I'm going to be in so much trouble tomorrow." He tells me solemnly, but he stands nonetheless to ask for my hand. He sweeps me across the floor in a sort of nimble way. Seth's not exactly clumsy, but his arms are entirely too big for his body. He holds me farther away from him, never pressing my body against his, always keeping his hands above my waist. It's cute though the way he smiles down at me. Even in heels I'm quite a bit shorter than him.

"So where exactly are you from?" Here we go with the twenty questions again. I exaggerate rolling my eyes and he simply smiles.

"I live in Florida, but I go to school in Massachusetts." I respond quietly and I watch our feet move against the tempo of the beat. His stop. I look up to see his face frozen in a mask of horror. "What?"

"So when are you leaving?" He whispers and I have to lean in to hear him.

"Tomorrow." I reply confused and move a bit to get him to continue dancing. He doesn't and pulls his warm arms away from me.

"I'll be right back." Seth tells me swiftly. "Just stay here." Like that he walks off, leaving me on the dance floor. Well, I most certainly was not going to 'just stay here' as he so eloquently put it. No way, I looked like a fool on the dance floor without a partner. I storm off to the only place I know that won't abandon me. The bathroom. It's where all girls' problems are solved. On my way I grab another flute of champagne and down it.

I sit down against the tile counter and stare at myself in the mirror. My golden hair looked a mess from the few minor drizzles coming down every now and again. The artificial waves that I put in it were coming undone and the true nature of my hair emerged, ready to make me look ridiculous. I pressed a finger under my eyes swiping the eyeliner that ran down in the weather as well. My blue eyes stared back at me in a haunting way as they swept over my disheveled appearance. My pink dress was not my style at all, it had been sent to me from my dorm without delay when I found I needed formal wear. It would not have been my first choice…or second or third for that matter. I tap my foot impatiently before deciding to leave my haven. This bathroom was just not working out for me. It felt so stiff and out of place in the Cullen's home because it was so immaculate and brand new. Maybe they just redecorated for the wedding or something?

I emerge from the house and suddenly I'm being carted through the bushes as someone's grabbed my arm and decided that they need to hold on to it while going at a breakneck speed.

"What the fu-" I yell before the person swings me into their grasp to clamp a hand over my mouth.

"Shh…it's just me."

"Seth? Am I being kidnapped?"

"No silly." Seth laughed and I looked up trying to discern his features from the dark. "I'm just here for a…intervention."

"Look, Seth, I understand you don't drink, but trying to break me of that habit won't work." I tell him honestly and he waves me off with impatience.

"That's not what I'm talking about, Sophie." He tells me annoyed as if _I'm _supposed to know already? "Look it shouldn't be this way, but you're leaving so soon." He moaned in exasperation and continues moving into the forest that surrounds the Cullen's house. Well, I for one did not want to get lost in this forest with this deranged lunatic who was from a place that I know is a certified crazy town. So I press my heels into the earth, trying to wrench my arms from his grasp.

"No way! Let me go!" I struggle and he barely even looks phased, just a bit agitated.

"Look we can do this my way or we can do this the hard way." Seth tells me seriously and I very nearly punch him in his overly serene face.

"I'll yell rape." I growl menacingly

"The hard way it is." Seth reaches out to grab my neck hitting a pressure point for a moment and immediately everything goes black.

I wake up, or at least I think I'm awake, but I hear whistling in my ears. I groan and look around to see Seth running with me in his arms swiftly. He looks at me a moment and smiles before I black out again. I think it was voluntarily on my part.

What felt like hours later I finally come around, but at least this time I'm smart enough to not open my eyes and move. I take in my surroundings first and the thing I hear is a violent argument.

"…want her to get brain damage?"

"She wasn't going to come with me otherwise it was my only choice, Em." Someone yelled loudly.

"_You could have hurt her_!" Someone else roared back and I very nearly covered my ears instinctually.

"At least I found her."

"I swear, Seth, you pull a stunt like that one more time-"

"Don't tell me what to do, EMBRY!" A growl ripped through the night and then- "SETH!"

"Get him out of here, Collin." A different voice demanded as I heard a flurry of movement and suddenly my head was spinning from just trying to decipher everything that was happening. I groaned softly before trying to sit up only to fall back face down in the dirt.

"You're fine, you're fine." I hear a soft voice murmur in my ear and I'm flipped over like a rag doll. Very easily.

A hand brushes against my face gently removing the dirt and my eyes flutter open to focus in on a face. The one who's cradling me against his warm chest. He looked so familiar. Where had I seen him before, he was a La Push boy wasn't he?

"Remember me?" He asks in the same sweet voice as he gives me this look of adoration. I flipped out. I twist and turn out of his arms scrambling towards a tree, the nearest thing to anchor me to this earth, as my reality just flipped upside down.

"What do you want?" I trembled violently and made to stand before realizing that it wasn't going to work out. I drop to my knees pulling my arms around the tree trunk in fright. It wasn't just him who was there though. There were about three others just as massive as him and I was sure that this was my last night on earth; my body wasn't going to be found in these never-ending woods.

"It's ok Sophie. We just want to talk." The one still on the ground said in an even tone his eyes shining brighter as my name rolled off his tongue.

"How do you know my name?"

"Seth." Oh, I'd forgotten about him.

"Where's Seth?" I look around and can't spot him anywhere amongst the strangers.

"He'll be back in a little while." Says a demanding voice somewhere in the background and the man on the forest floor looks annoyed.

"We won't hurt you I promise. Please don't be scared." I look at the pleading floor guy and try to wrack my brains for his name.

"Who are you?" I almost bite my cheek to bleed. I can't believe I'm even talking to them.

"I'm Embry." The floor boy visibly brightens at my curiosity. It means I'm actually giving him a little of my damn time. Ah shit.

"Who are they?" I gesture behind him scuttling closer to the tree.

"They're my brothers." He shrugs and with a slow smile he motions for me to move closer. Not in this lifetime, buddy. But before he has time to be disappointed a bush to the left moves and out comes another boy and Seth, but he's not in his suit anymore just more of a loin cloth.

"My mom's going to kill me." Seth sighs to everyone before looking down at his state of fashion. "That was my only suit."

"Don't pull a Paul."

"Watch it." Someone mutters viciously from behind in the distance and I whimper.

"You're scaring her." Embry turns to yell at everyone.

"Sophie! You're awake." Seth cries cheerfully lightening up from his little damp rain cloud.

"No thanks to you." I spit back and he just chuckles.

"I've got your best interest at heart." Seth claims and I hear a growl emit deep from within Embry's chest. Seth cowers back and so do I.

"Tell her, Embry. I don't have all night and neither does she." The same authoritative voice demands and with that Embry's eyes turn to me immediately becoming wary and gentle.

"How much do you know." He begins "about werewolves?"


	3. A National Transition

**A/N: I have written and rewritten this chapter because I just feel it's awkward. It worked out better in my head, but I hope I don't lose readers over this because I do find it kind of odd myself, but if you truly think about it does make a BIT of sense what Sophie's doing. Next chapters are way better. Just try and keep an open mind. That's all I ask! Thanks so much for reading!**

I couldn't believe I was making this call. I really couldn't believe it. I really believed some crackpot story about werewolves! What the hell was wrong with me? I was completely losing it. It must be the water in this town, because never in a million years would I willingly do what I'm about to do.

"Hello?"

"Mom? Hey it's Sophie."

"Sophie who?" I heard her sharp voice over the crackle of my sidekick and my heart plummeted to my feet. I held the phone away from me looking at it like it was a dead animal before carefully placing it back against my ear.

"Sophie, your daughter, Sophie." I told her weakly and Embry gave me a sharp look while all the rest of the pack looked bewildered.

"Well what the hell are you doing calling me at five in the morning?" I flipped my phone back to look at the time here. It was midnight, oh yeah time zones.

"I'm sorry I forgot the time changes. Listen, mom, we need to talk."

"Now?" My mother thundered out in a murderous voice and I gulped.

"Yes." I hesitated and looked back at all the boys around me. The eldest, named Sam, nodded his head for me to continue. It annoyed me that he thought I could be controlled and bend to his will as much as everyone else, but the truth was in my actions because look what I was doing. I gripped my phone harder. "I don't want to go back to boarding school. Just let me finish. I think it would be best for me if I stay here in the country. The air's good for me you know? I've always wanted to do the national student exchange program." No I hadn't. I'd wanted to study _internationally_. I wanted to got to France not Washington, but I wasn't going to point that out to my mom.

"How much is this going to cost me? How much am I going to have to pay the host family?" My mom spit out and I could just imagine her jumping out of bed now to put on her moccasin type slippers to walk out of the room and out of earshot from my father.

"I don't know." I tell her seriously and bite my pedicured nail momentarily before ripping it out of my mouth and folding my hand against my stomach.

"Sophronia De Lorme what is wrong with you? You love your boarding school. What's happening? Why are you calling me? Where is your aunt? I want to talk to her."

"_Mom_," I whined stepping diligently away from the ring of boys around me. I just couldn't talk with them all staring at me. "I'm fine. Nothing's wrong I've just had this inspiring thought, you know? You can understand that, I just feel that I need a year away from everything and everyone. I can collect my bearings and stuff like that. Besides studying nationally looks great on college resumes."

"Is this like a cleansing ritual that Oprah tried or something?" My mother asked me seriously and I bit my lower lip not to laugh.

"Exactly." I reply quickly with sincerity and I could hear her sigh on the other. Wow, she was really thinking about letting me do this. I knew she was busy, but I didn't know she would get rid of me that quickly. I felt a sharp pang and contributed it to the loss of my freedom rather than really search deeper for the meaning.

"Let me talk to your father about this." That roughly translates as 'Ok, we'll do this and tell him after it's all done.'

"Thanks mom. You won't regret this. I really think I'm going to change for the better. I'll be more-"

"I_ better_ not regret this." My mom hissed out sharply cutting my off before the line clicked dead. My unfocused eyes swept to the pack of boys as they all looked at me hesitantly.

"Ok mom sure. I love you, bye." I whispered sadly to no one before clicking the end button superfluously. "So I think that's a 'yes'." I tell them not even trying to sound happy about it, but Embry started shivering again from head to foot like he had done yesterday except this time he had a huge grin on his face. "Can you take me back to the Cullens now?" I was almost positive that the wedding was over and that the celebrated couple had left; so it was only a matter of time before my presence was missed.

"Sure thing." Seth said stepping forward, the first person to come near me since I scooted away from Embry an hour earlier. Suddenly an arm shot out catching Seth against his bare chest and I peered around to see Embry looking furious, his jaw muscle clenched against his tan skin.

"I'll take her."

"Embry, you're not allowed on Cullen land. Only I am." Seth pointed out diplomatically and I was so confused. Why couldn't I go with Embry? Wait, why do I care who brings me back?

Embry let out a sharp breathe before yanking his shirt over his head pressing it into Seth's chest. "Fine, but put this on; touch her once and I'll know." Seth just chuckled at his comment before tugging on Embry's shirt, scooping me up bridal style, and running away. I watched the figures disappear into the night, particularly Embry. His face was a mask of sorrow and I couldn't help but feel bad for him. He looked like a puppy that lost its mother. Then again, maybe I could compare myself to that for I had just entrusted my future for the next year in his hands. I faced forward squinting to make out the contours of Seth's face. I hadn't noticed before, but he does look quite a bit younger than the rest; his features were still rounded with youth. I don't know how I didn't see it before, maybe I just couldn't get past his height or thick muscles, but he couldn't be that much older than me whereas the others looked maybe twenty.

"You ok?" He says evenly and it's then that I realize he's not even breathing that hard. Well, I'm not fat or anything, but I mean he is running with me.

"Are _you_ ok?"

"You do that a lot."

"Do what?" I demand

"Flip questions back around." He tells me and his cheerful smile appears again. A smile of innocence. How did I not see it before? Could this boy really be a monster like the others back there? He couldn't, he just couldn't because he was so…well, cheerful.

"Only to you because you need a taste of your own medicine. You ask a lot of questions."

"Wow, Embry's going to like you. I always said he had a thing for blondes." Seth chuckles as my head bumps with every step he takes.

"I thought he loved me _already_." I try to contradict him thinking about this _imprint_ idea or whatever the hell, but he just shakes his head. I get the feeling that if his arms weren't currently occupied he'd do that little wave, like he's waving away silly ideas.

"He does, but he's not going to freak you out with it or anything. He'll come on slow. It's a bit overwhelming and I think it'll take all of his strength to break you anyway."

"I don't know what you mean, but I'm not here to be broken." I sniff and cross my arms in a childish way over my chest as Seth rolls his eyes at my comment. He stays quiet for the rest of the trip, probably trying to let me collect my thoughts. I have to admit, it is a lot to take in. I really never would have believed if I hadn't seen. I think back to when they finished telling me everything. Absolutely everything, that their werewolves, that I'm Embry's imprint or whatever, that he needs to be close to me to protect me, but these fools were not leading me any further until I had proof. Which they showed me. Well, I was almost speechless, almost. I did just see a beast jump out a man's body. That's quite frightening.

"So let me get this straight, you all are werewolves?" I state in confusion and look up to Embry as he nods once slowly, encouraging me to go on. "And that you're sorta my soul mate?"

"Sorta." He says as he cracks a grin at me. I'm not amused. This is complete bogus.

"So, if you have to be with me what do you want me to do, move here?" I ask to the general area and they all shift uneasily, every last man in this pack.

"That's up to you and Embry." Sam deems reasonably and I look to him.

"Just give me one year." Embry pleads and wipes his face with his hand. My first instinct was to tell him no, in fact it was right there, right on the tip of my tongue. Just say it Sophie, god just say it, but then I see his face as it reemerges. His dark eyes send my heart into rough palpitations. They were so intense, so dead serious that I just couldn't doubt him. There was no way he was lying to me. He could take care of me and he did have deep-rooted feelings for me, just at first glance. It freaked me out a little, but the thing was… I just couldn't break his heart. I couldn't be the one to put sorrow in his eyes. I know it's so strange, it was the most unselfish thing I'd ever done in my life, but I was not going to be the one to cause this strange man agony. Besides Chella and Anthony, my two best friends at boarding school, had already started school in France for the year. The place that_ I_ wanted to go. But _they_ were the ones studying abroad, so why couldn't I? I hated being the one left out, but I didn't want to _copy_ them. Ugh, no way. So it wasn't like I had a bright future ahead of me for the next year at school without them. Once they came back, I would come back.

I seriously sat in the dirt trying to envision myself 'roughing it' with these people in La Push. I picture myself gardening in a little cabin, Embry coming home to me, I'm giving everyone in town advice about fashion. It wasn't so bad when I looked at it from that angle. It wasn't bad at all. It was something new, exciting. If I could conquer this fear of small towns, then I could do almost anything.

"When do I move in?" I ask in a small voice and Embry's face nearly splits in half with happiness at my decision. I'm disgusted with myself. Looking back, how in the hell could I have chosen my own unhappiness. I truly hated this town. I feel Seth's arms drop me and I slam back into the present time. We were finally here and I'd have to tell my Aunt Renee how I wasn't going to go back with her.

"Good luck." Seth whispers into the darkness and I glare at him before resigning my face to a neutral look. It wasn't his fault I was moving.

"Thanks." I whisper back.

888888888

It turns out that it wasn't as bad as I'd imagined. I think Aunt Renee was still a little drunk on happiness over Bella's wedding. She simply replied, "What is it with you teenage girls and this town?" She agreed with my mother to stay for a while longer to help with my living arrangements. My mom wanted to stay out of this ridiculous 'cleansing ritual' as much as possible, but she did call my boarding school for me and they thought it was a brilliant idea for me to 'study within the states up close and personal'. In my opinion, I think everyone thought that I would fail. That I would be coming home soon and I wanted to prove them all wrong so badly. I could do this; I'm not a sissy, sort of. I really _didn't_ like how tiny these towns were.

A complication I didn't foresee was the Cullens. They were extremely wary about letting me move to La Push, they even offered me lodgings with them. Now, I would have readily agreed, their house was huge and they'd probably never know I was there to begin with, but when I passed this information along to the pack via Seth, who strangely enough was the only one to ever come over in the past week, they flat out refused without reason. I didn't understand. I was so hurt because the Cullens were basically my family… through marriage or something like that, but still! So I sent Seth back with a nasty little message of my own asking them exactly where was I going to stay? Who was going to be my host/guardian? He came back with a simple reply. Emily.

I had no idea who or where that was, but I suppose it was my only option. It took forever though. The pack didn't send for me for a long time and I had no idea why. It was only much later that I learned the high school in La Push didn't really go for the 'studying within the states up close and personal' like my boarding school did. They didn't really want a person not from the tribe there at all. They had to call a council and the elders decided that it was in the best interest for the tribe, because it was in the best interest for the pack, because Embry wouldn't be able to rest if I wasn't near him. Thus the council ordered I be let in. Just like that, the school had to listen.

Aunt Renee had become restless by this time. She missed Uncle Phil and wanted to return to Florida. The Cullens assured her that I would reach my destination safely and if they felt uncomfortable then they would remove me immediately. Mrs. Cullen even talked to my mother for me and she assured her over and over that La Push was the perfect place for a cleansing ritual and that she heard Oprah herself say Washington was just the place for that kind of stuff. I had no idea why Mrs. Cullen was lying for me, but she promised my mom that she knew the people from La Push personally and that they were people to be trusted. It would be a worldly experience for me to actually live within the culture of the Indian tribe. My mom loved the sound of that one. So Aunt Renee skipped off into the sunset, or to the airport I should say, then to Florida on an airplane and_ then_ into the sunset. Leaving me in other's hands.

Seth came to collect me from the Cullens that Sunday and I was off straight to La Push or hell. Whatever name you prefer.

"We're saying that Emily applied to be a host family because she needs help with keeping up her cabin after her attack." Seth gave me a once over from the driver's seat. Then looked quickly back to the road. He'd already confessed to me he didn't have a license. Splendid, I know. "Besides everyone will believe the story because Emily's a kind person anyway. If anyone would take in a teenager, it would be her. Just stick with the story and don't elaborate. Oh and don't stare at Emily when you get in there." Seth told me as we pulled into the driveway of a small cabin flourishing with different color flowers.

"Why?"

"Hanging around werewolves has a downside."

"Really, I had no idea." I tell him sarcastically pushing my door open and Seth grabbed my huge suitcase from the back. I'd have to get the rest of my clothes later. I just packed that suitcase for two days.

"So everyone knows she got attacked by a werewolf?" I asked trying to get the story straight.

"No, they think she got attacked by a bear." Fantastic. Lies upon lies.

I march stiffly through the door and my eyes find the marred face of the woman who must be Emily. My automatic response was to yell 'WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE?', but I figure that wouldn't go over to well with everyone. I just can't stop looking at the red scars pulling one side of her mouth down.

"Hello, I'm Emily." She says stepping forward and I shake my head trying to unglue my eyes from focusing on her, to focus on her outstretched hand. "You must be Sophie. My you're a pretty little thing aren't you?" She smiles a lopsided smile and places a hand gently on top my golden hair. "Wow." She breathes and then immediately snaps back to the present. "Sorry, I'm so sorry. It's just no one around here has natural blonde hair. Especially that color." I give her a tight smile.

"It's ok, I understand." And I did. I was staring at her face; she was goggling at my hair. This would work out nicely.

"Seth you can put her stuff in the back room. That's where you'll be staying." Emily gave me a brief tour around the house after Seth bowed out saying he was tired. He sprawled his gangly form right there on the couch and within a few minutes I heard light snores coming from the living room. Emily had taken me into the kitchen to prepare for dinner. I was not that thrilled. What was it with these people and work?

"Have you ever cooked before, sweetie?" Emily asked me gently holding a spatula loosely in her right hand as she flipped through what looked like a cook book.

"Never."

"Well, everyone has to learn sometime." Wrong, she was so wrong. I'd never have had to learn if I hadn't have come here. My mother certainly would never have taken the time out to teach me and if she had then I would have pitched a fit because I didn't want to learn anyway. Yet, I stayed quiet and listened every time Emily told me to do something. I didn't think it was right to complain when she was letting me stay in her house. Besides I should play the part. I was sent here to 'help' her. Emily talked about how she was Sam's imprint and what it felt like to be adored. She said it took some getting use to, but was impossible to resist. Ha, they've never met Sophie De Lorme. It felt like I slaved over that hot stove for hours. I was sweating and bored by the time we were done; Emily threw me a grateful glance.

"I'm so glad you're here to help. It's a tedious job cooking for everyone." She told me still stirring the large pot of beef stew.

"That's why you applied for me." I joked

"I did." She agreed humorously.

Then suddenly she lifted her head cocking her ear closer towards the open window above the sink. "Oh, they're here." She laughed and at that instant the front door slammed open.

"_I'm starved_." Someone yelled, followed by a loud thunk.

"Use your inside voice." That was Sam. That had to be, because Emily's face lit up at the sound and she threw off her apron in her hurry out the room to meet him. I stood frozen by the counter hearing the impending footsteps of multiple pairs of feet. I couldn't catch my breath again, here was that phobia making its presence known. Never in my life have I been scared meeting people, I _loved_ meeting new people. I had no idea what was wrong with me, not even a clue.

"We have a guest so remember your manners boys." I hear Emily's voice floating in from the other room.

"Who?"

"Go find out." Then came the huge bodies, all ducking under the door frame to enter the kitchen. All of them stopped to smile or laugh at me and I was almost to the point of hyperventilating. _What was wrong with me?_

Then there was Embry. He entered right after Emily and Sam, practically skipping over to me. He grabbed me around the waist picking me up easily and twirling me as my legs flung in all directions. "Sophie!" He cried joyously and he set me back on the ground.

The second my feet hit the floor I stumbled away from him, tripping over a chair before landing flat on my butt. "Oh" I squealed. The entire room burst out in laughter, at my expense I should add. My face burned, turning red with anger, and then Embry pulled me to my feet grinning. My anger simmered, just below the surface still, but there was no point to it. They laughed at me in good humor and it was to hard not to be happy when I looked at Embry's shining face.

"You ok?" It felt like I was forever being asked if I was all right. _Yes_, I'm fine, could you please stop asking? That's what I wanted to tell him, but instead I settled for a nod.

"Hungry?" He continued, shuffling me to take a seat next to him in the overly crowded kitchen. I was so close to him. Heat was rolling of his broad shoulders as he fixed me a plate of food not even bothering to listen to my answer, which was a 'no'.

I pushed the plate away. "I'm not hungry."

"What? Surely the Cullens didn't feed you earlier?" Someone joked and the entire pack sniggered even Emily. I didn't get it. Maybe this is where Seth gets it from. I must have looked confused because Embry covered his large hand over my own. Ok, I'd barely had a conversation alone with this kid. Yes, I trusted him, no, I wasn't freaked out that he became some form of dog every once in a while, but he wasn't going to touch me just yet. I consciously pulled my small hand from his. Shock flitted across his face before he cleared his throat and turned away. What did he want from me? I've already given him my life for now.

"Embry." Emily said sternly followed by a loud noise under the table, then a groan.

"Ouch!" Embry cried reaching down to gingerly rub his left knee. "That hurt."

"Then maybe my advice won't slip your mind next time around." Emily set him in her steely gaze. Embry opened his mouth to retort, but Sam sent him a glare and with a sharp snap his mouth closed again. All the boys tried to hold in their laughter around us. It proved to be too much for them. For the third time that night the group fell into a round of hysterics.

"Shut up." Embry griped and hurled his fork at one of his brothers' head, which he easily avoided. And that's when I decided my exit was imminent.

"Well, I think I'm going to go get ready for bed." I announced shyly to everyone before trying to slip away, but Embry jumped up running his hand nervously through his sheared locks.

"Ok, well I'll, um, see you tomorrow then?" He said and shifted from foot to foot shooting a glance at Emily to see what to do, but she was only giggling.

"Tomorrow?" I pondered.

"Yeah, you know school's tomorrow." My stomach plummeted to the ground. I'd totally forgotten that I still had to do that. Oh crap. I scuttled out the room, waving good bye without turning around. I didn't want to see any of their faces right now.

I took a hot shower and lay in bed trying to think about why I was so clammed up. I think I was repressing all my feelings. In fact, I was almost sure I was. I mean why wasn't I whacking out that I was _supposed_ to be in love with an over-grown dog? Why couldn't I talk to anyone? I've never had a problem before. I groaned and rolled over so I could cover my eyes from the shadows of the branches. They were casting some freaky images on the floor, so I tried to curl closer to the wall, wrapping myself in the comforter. I couldn't go to sleep for hours and I was so exhausted. School had to be better; it just had to, because I wasn't sure how much more I could take. Pretty soon I would need sleep and I certainly wouldn't remember how to use my voice if I never talk again.

**A/N: So two things. 1) I'm trying to vaguely stick with the first chapter of Breaking Dawn. It's not 100 true to it obviously, but the whole Seth thing is. It's why he had to kidnap her and bring her to pack territory and why he had to bring Sophie back. Pack can't cross into Cullen turf. 2) Yes, as one reviewer pointed out (thank you so much for bringing it to my attention to! And thanks for the review) the story is moving kind of fast. I'm almost positive after this chapter you still think the same thing and maybe even that Sophie's on crack, but if someone showed you proof of being a werewolf, yes you will be frightened, but you still have to admit to yourself that they are in fact telling you some form of the truth. Maybe you're even frightened so much that you do what you're asked. Besides Sophie's been by herself all her life. She's impulsive. Moving to Washington won't be different and the Cullens are semi-family so it's not like she's wandering off with strangers. They'll be watching for her;) If you don't really understand what Sophie's doing, there is a program where you can go to a different school for a year inside of the United States which is the National student exchange program. Then there's the program where you can study abroad outside the United States (which is what Chella and Anthony are doing in France). Sorry if it's not so clear, but Sophie had to find some excuse to stay. You might be asking yourself, who would do this? And my reply to that is yeah I know it's weird, but some girl at my school did. She said it was innovative and cleansing to the soul. Ha. Thanks to all my reviewers and readers! I love comments and criticisms! Just bare with me the next chapters get better.**


	4. Noting Diffrences

"Let's see here, hmm

"Let's see here, hmm. Yes, here it is right here. That's your schedule and this is your homework pad, there's a map of the school if you flip to the back. That's it, have a great day." The school secretary clacked away from me in her overly chunky wedges. I got the feeling she didn't like me very much. That I was a hindrance. Just to prove my point, a moment later she swiveled on the spot to tell me another wonderful tidbit. "Oh and unfortunately you can't drop any of your classes because, well, school started_ two_ weeks ago. We did take your other school's schedule into account and tried to match the classes as best we could," the school secretary told me in a hurry after seeing my face. My schedule was completely fucked up.

"P.E?!" I exclaimed looking at the woman in horror. She looked mildly sorry, but simply shrugged. "I've never taken P.E. in my life, and wood shop? Can't I have psychology or journalism?"

"We don't offer those classes, dear. Wood shop was the only elective available at short notice. Here, if someone drops out of any elective you'll be the first one in line to take it. Your GPA is impressive so I'm sure you can handle a little bit of building and sawing," the secretary praised and peered over her glasses at me as I looked at her with utter loathing. Then the bell rang. "Well, get to class." I grabbed my bag off the counter, marched to the outer room and straight into the first girls' bathroom I saw. I could _not_ do this. Not only did I have to _walk_ to school, but I was also in shitty classes. This was not how my year was supposed to go. I took a deep breath. Well, there was no point in going to this high school if I didn't go to class and no point in staying in this nasty bathroom that smelled like pee. I'd just have to make the best of it. I kept that as my mantra as I looked up where my first class was. _Just make the best of it._

It was hard though. Everything was so foreign to me. I was used to having lounges in every classroom, grand staircases, and huge specifically designed architectural buildings surrounding me. _Not _one-story, brick, enclosed structures constricting my breathing space, dilapidated desks, or grimy tile bathrooms. I groaned loudly. The few people in the hallway that were leaning against the lockers looked at me strangely as I hiked up my designer bag monogrammed with my name on it. _What?_

I walked into my math class just in time. Everyone was already in their seats, so they all had wonderful views to gawk at me when I first entered.

"Ah, the new student," the teacher commented easily. She couldn't have put it better. I was brand spankin' new. "Why don't you introduce yourself?" No. I don't want to. I want to slide wordlessly into a seat and not get up until class is over.

"Sophie," I say, and everyone's still staring intently at me. Emily was right. There wasn't a blond head in the entire class.

"Take a seat then Sophie." I complied and walked to the back. Every footstep felt like it echoed against the tile floor excruciatingly loud. I winced and ducked into my seat just as the teacher began class. Except when I sat down the desk fell back a good inch making me yelp. Everyone stopped for a moment to stare at me as I realized the desk legs were uneven.

I raised my hand, "Do you think I could have another desk?"

"That's the only one that's left," the teacher told me sympathetically. "If you want a better seat you'll have to get here earlier." Just like that she went back to teaching and my face burned with embarrassment.

It dragged on forever. I knew everything she taught already, but at the end of class she still suggested I needed a tutor to catch up. I really didn't, but I didn't have time to argue or I'd be late for wood shop. This class was on the far side of the building, closer to the woods. Go figure. Well, the school was surrounded by woods, but nearer the denser portion. I stepped into the classroom and I noticed every single person was _male_. Every last one, even the teacher.

"Ah, are you lost?" one of the older boys asked me kindly. The class was mixed in age ranging from seniors to freshman. Luckily, the teacher answered for me.

"You must be, er, let's see, Sophronia De Lorme. Is that right? Did I say that right?" the teacher, a heavily bearded man, asked me. Personally, I think he looked like a woodsman in his plaid shirt and hiked up khaki pants. All he needed was the ax.

"Sophie," I told him gently and he nodded making a correction on his paper.

"Right well, um, take a seat next to Garret. He doesn't have a partner yet." He pointed towards the first boy that had acknowledged by presence in the room.

"Wow, gutsy, wood shop?" Garret grinned at me as I planted my butt on the stool next to him. He was a bit too tan just like everyone else, but his hair was a strange brown that waved around his face. I looked at him and smiled back. I actually smiled back.

"This was not my choice," I told him honestly and swept my long hair over one shoulder. His brown eyes followed my movements.

"I figured, so where are you from?"

"Far away."

"I like that. Mysterious. You look like some kind of Disney princess with that hair, you know?" he joked and stretched out his hand to stroke the hair hanging by my shoulder. He had that distant look in his eye like Emily did when she petted my hair. It was like a prize that they envied. It was just hair though. I didn't see anything special about it.

"Hey, Sophie!" someone suddenly shouted in my ear and I jerked back the other way towards Garret, falling off the stool. He caught me in his arms just before I hit the floor.

"Quil!" I gasped, trying to right myself back on my seat. "I didn't know you were in this class." I really wanted to add that everyone looked alike so there was no possible way I could discern him, but I think that might not have a smooth transition in this conversation.

"You walked right past me," Quil pointed out to me, but he never took his menacing eyes off of Garret.

"Didn't see you."

"You can come sit by me."

"Well, the teacher told me to sit here," I stated confused, but made to seize my bag all the same. Garret grabbed my forearm and I stilled.

"You don't have to, Mr. Kramer won't care," Garret said smoothly before pushing me back into the stool.

"No, she wants to sit with me," Quil grabbed my other arm yanking me gently to his direction. Mr. Kramer looked up at us and a shadow crossed his face before getting up and stomping over to our little spat.

"What's going on here?" he demanded with his hands on his hips and both boys let go of my arms like they were on fire. My arms flopped down to my side uselessly.

"Quil here thinks that Sophie wants to sit by him." I turned towards Garret in surprise. Wow, he actually just tattled on Quil. What are we? Two?

"It's just that Sophie's already a friend of mine, sir," Quil said in a respectful tone clasping his hands behind his back in a picture of innocence. Garret scoffed.

"Miss De Lorme, why don't you sit up here with me today? It seems that throwing in a little estrogen sends them all wild. It's a wonder how they get through their other classes," Mr. Kramer told me with a pat on my back and I just rolled my eyes, getting up to place my bag right next to the chair by the teacher's desk. This was so stupid. "Now, Sophie, have you ever worked with wood?" the teacher asked me and I turned to him with a what-do-you-think expression. "Okay, let's start with the basics." Mr. Kramer, I figured out, was in love with inanimate objects. He was fascinated by the texture, color, smell, and anything else about wood. Like he had birthed it or something. "Here, you try."

"Sir, do you think it's possible for me… not to do this?" I asked him hesitantly and he almost looked like he had a coronary.

"I don't understand what you mean?" Mr. Kramer thundered causing everyone in the class to look up at us.

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and continued. "It's just that," I paused for effect and to bat my eyelashes, "my nails." I raised my hand and showed him my neat, perfect nails. I wiggled them, smiling alluringly at him, and he looked shocked. The class started howling with laughter. I looked at them and some of the boys went as far as to fall out of their stools unnecessarily. Quil even had a chuckle or two.

"Yes!" Mr. Kramer said heavily stroking his beard in amazement. "This is wood shop, not a salon. No exceptions, not even for you." Thank god the bell rang because my jaw was hanging somewhere below my navel. He told me 'no'? That wasn't possible. I had asked him _nicely_. Quil was the one who came to my rescue, carrying my books and me out the door with him.

"Don't ever tell Kramer that again," Quil scolded once we reached the hallway filled with packed students. His height made the crowd part easily, letting us through faster.

"What just happened? No one's ever said no like that," I told Quil and he gave me a humorless laugh before rounding the corner.

"Sophie, no one's going to let you get out of things."

"What? Why not?"

"This is _high school_."

"What are you saying? Boarding school isn't high school?" I was so confused. I've never been to a place where someone was so mean. Couldn't he understand my dilemma? They were my nails! My precious nails.

"Never mind, where the hell is Embry?"

"Where are we going?"

"You have P.E. with Embry and I. Mixed classes, like wood shop." It was just then that I noticed we'd entered a large building with a wooden floor and bleachers. The walls were painted with emblems showing the school mascot and colors.

"Oh my gosh, it's so cute. It's like a movie," I said in wonder and every single person in the vicinity turned to stare at me, including Quil. They looked at me like I was an alien.

"Have you never seen a gym before?" he asked me quietly pulling me towards a red door on the far end of the room.

"I've never had P.E. before." Quil groaned.

Ten minutes later I was dressed in an ugly gray shirt with matching cotton shorts and my tennis shoes. I'd luckily worn them today. I was informed that I would have to be changing into this lovely ensemble everyday. So _this_ was why so many people complained about high school in the movies. I'd never understood. Ever.

We shuffled out the locker rooms and immediately I saw Embry and Quil. They motioned for me to join them, but I was cut off by the gym teacher stepping directly in my path.

"I understand its Monday, so we'll start off with something easy." Everyone waited with bated breathe. "Kickball." And the crowd went wild. Except me. I'd never heard of this 'kickball'.

"Since Sophie is the new student, you can be a captain and Chad you can be the other." All eyes swiveled in my direction as the teacher backed up to show me to the class. I blushed. Chad decided that he wanted first pick and I would have first kick. Okay? I'd no idea what he meant so I just went with it. He picked Embry. I could see the light in Embry's eyes flicker and die as he trudged to the Chad's side. I picked Quil. It was the easiest choice. Mostly because I knew him, but also because physically he was just the best. He was really the captain any way. I had no clue who anyone was and he just whispered names in my ear as I called them out.

"Okay, captain, you're the first one up," Quil told me, pushing me to the beginning of the line that started forming.

"Up where?"

Quil took one look at my blank face and said, "Oh shit."

"Play ball!" the teacher, aka the referee, shouted.

"Just kick it when he pitches it," Quil said pushing me forward to face Embry a few feet away from me. He was juggling a bouncy ball in his hand grinning wickedly. I didn't even have time to ask just what exactly he meant before Embry rolled the ball my way and I just stepped around it.

"Strike one!" The ball was back in Embry's hand, only this time he looked uncertain. Quil was trying to tell me something in a hurry, but the ball was rolling towards me again. I stepped out the way. Was I doing this right?

"Time out," the teacher called, holding her hands up in a T-formation. "Sophie, you have to kick the ball."

"Why?" That seemed dumb. I really did not understand the fundamental value that lied beneath the exterior of this game. Every student stopped their chatter to listen in.

"Well, because it's called kickball and that's what you do," the teacher stuttered, trying to find a reasonable explanation. Had no one asked her this question before?

"What's the point of it though?" I snuck a peek at Embry and his face looked as if he was appalled maybe, or embarrassed. I shouldn't have been upset. I shouldn't have because I didn't really feel any sort of connection to him, but it hurt all the same. Wasn't he supposed to love me or whatever?

"The point is to score points and run around the bases. Have you never played before?" The teacher's tone was one of incredulity. Her eyes were widened in disbelief.

"No," I whispered and I could just hear the snickers behind me and see the shouts of laughter of the people standing in front of me.

"Why don't you sit and watch this time then," the teacher pointed to the bleachers and the walk over there felt like the walk of shame. Like I'd done something horrible. I climbed up to the very back folding into myself at the top corner. It was then when the game resumed that I allowed the tears to fall. I didn't understand this strange world at all. I was being punished for being incompetent. No not punished, shamed, and that was worse.

I sniffed and rubbed my eyes furiously, letting my hair shield my face from view, but out of the corner of my eye I still saw Quil and Embry looking at me. As if they had heard me sobbing quietly to myself, but that was impossible, I was yards away from them.

The bell rang and I walked slowly down the steep bleachers. I didn't even have to look up to know that Embry was waiting for me at the bottom.

"You okay?" he asked me gently.

I was so fed up with that question, so fed up. It might be the reason why I snapped, "I'm FINE! Could you leave me alone?" Embry took a step back as his eyebrows hit his hairline. I furiously walked away through the red door and immediately all the talking stopped. I looked up to see everyone looking at me, but trying not to. It was one of those moments where you just _know_ you're the topic of conversation. Partly because the conversations stopped once you entered the room.

I threw my clothes on knowing I'd probably have a lonely walk to lunch, but I was wrong. Embry was there waiting for me like a… well I don't want to sound cliché, but like a puppy.

It really was too much. He should hate me for yelling at him. Despise me for embarrassing him in front of Quil (I wasn't sure if everyone else in the class knew that we were friends), but he didn't, he just smiled and held out his hand for me to take. I bypassed the hand and went to wrap my arms around his narrow waist. He was pleasantly surprised. He hesitated before rubbing my back soothingly as I held onto him for dear life. I pulled away when I heard a door swing open and a group of girls walked out the locker room.

"Oh, hey Embry." One told him appreciatively and she eyed the short distance between us. He nodded to her smiling slightly before turning his dark eyes back to me.

"So, lunch?" he asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets awkwardly. I nodded tentatively before falling in step next to him.

"I'm so tired. Sam had me running double shifts last night," Jared groaned, laying his head on the lunch table right next to his three empty trays. Yes, three.

"You know why," Paul said ominously letting his eyes slide my way. I was used to this by now. There were still secrets I couldn't know. They'd talked of nothing other than 'pack stuff' for a solid hour and they'd lost my interest within the first five minutes. I was prepared to be the only girl at the table when I sat down, but was relieved when Jared's imprint, Kim, plopped down next to me.

"I'm so happy you're here. It's been a nightmare sitting here by myself," she confided in me. She was a nice girl, not all that great looking, but she seemed genuinely pleased that I was here. It was more than I could say for all the other girls in the lunch room who either gave me weird or malicious looks.

The pack apparently was an elite table to sit at and I had the 'in'.

Kim stroked Jared's ebony hair fondly before placing a kiss behind his ear. He lifted his head to grin wolfishly at her.

"I miss Jake," Quil sighed and Embry nodded with him. Again Paul's eyes found me.

"What?" I asked, finally breaking the dam of annoyance that had been building since I sat down. "Why do you keep looking at me?" I didn't know who Jake was, I didn't care about their super secret official pack business, but I did mind when I was being treated like I had leprosy.

"Nothing," Paul said quickly as Embry looked between us. Embry's eyes settled on me and he leaned forward to whisper in my ear, "Don't mind, Paul. He's jealous."

"You wish, Call," Paul muttered furiously. "You _know_ why I'm looking at her." Embry pursed his lips.

"Drop it," Jared ordered.

I grabbed my bag and slid out my seat. "I've got French next."

"But, the bell hasn't rung," Embry told me desperately.

"I know," I stated in a flat voice and walked off. I'm going to lose my mind before the year's over with.

The rest of the day wasn't so bad. I didn't have any more classes with the pack because I was a year younger than everyone. No more mixed classes. The curriculum itself wasn't that bad and I found myself interested in some subjects, and disappointed because I'd already knew things in others. It was just the people that made it terrible. They were acting as if I was Hester in the _Scarlet Letter_. Did I have something stamped on my forehead betraying my sins? No, I don't think I did.

Embry met me outside to walk to Sam's house at the end of the day.

"Sorry I wasn't there this morning; I barely made it to school on time. I was out on patrol," Embry explained. It was true he did look ridiculously tired like Jared. I marveled at him for a second. If I were a werewolf school would be the last thing on my mind.

The way home seemed pretty uneventful until we reached the driveway of Emily's cottage. Embry reached over unexpectedly to grab my hand and envelope it in his own before quickly realizing what he had done; he pulled away.

"I'm sorry! That was an accident." His face resembled one of utter remorse. He looked alarmed with himself.

"It's fine," I shrugged. What the hell, right? It's a hell of a lot more comforting than the constant stream of glares behind me.

Embry breathed a sigh of relief. "It's just so strange. I have these urges and I just have to be near you, but then when I'm near you I have to touch you and make sure you're okay. Then if I touch you…," he gulped, trailing off. He looked at me apologetically as he tried to explain the complexities of imprinting. We were in the house by this time and by the looks of it Emily and Sam weren't home.

"Do you want to watch TV or something with me?" I asked lamely. It was a pathetic attempt I know, but I didn't want him to leave me right now. I craved company and he seemed more than willing to be it.

"Sure, you're not going to make me watch one of those girl shows are you?"

"I don't consider _What Not to Wear_ a girly show. You can always improve in you're dressing abilities," I chuckled. Holy crap, did I just laugh? Yes, I think I did, and Embry realized it too. He looked at me in wonder and awe. We sat down on the couch a few inches away from each other, both of us clearly uncomfortable.

"Do you see that hideous outfit?" I commented randomly after a few minutes. I couldn't take our silence anymore.

"What's so bad about it?" Embry asked me, genuinely confused. He swiveled his head towards me cocking it to the side.

"Well, for starters it's _orange_."

"I have loads of orange shirts."

"This is a jumpsuit," I corrected him.

"Well…," he trailed off with an embarrassed smile on his face.

"Oh no, please don't tell me. Say it isn't so." I covered my hands over my ears in mock distress.

"I have a jumpsuit," he laughed.

"OH MY GOD." I fell over in a fake faint crashing onto his warm lap.

"Don't be jealous," Embry chided and I broke out into a fit of giggles. I clutched my stomach from the exertion finally catching my breath.

"That's about right," I told him seriously and his brown eyes looked down at me, sifting over my face in amusement. I turned back, embarrassed, toward the TV leaving my head on his lap.

"Do you think I'll ever fit in?" I asked him quietly.

"Yes, I'm sure it just takes some getting use to," Embry struggled, trying to get his words right. He must have heard all the gossip about me flying through the halls. I was officially known as the dumb fake blond. How stereotypical. I was not dumb and I was naturally blond. What do they want me to do? Dye my hair to fit in? I think not. Embry at least didn't seem to mind if I was socially awkward.

I don't remember falling asleep, but I must have because I woke up as Embry was carrying me to my bed.

"You leaving?" I muttered groggily

"I'll see you in the morning," he breathed in my ear and I shivered.

In my seriously, seriously altered state of mind I uttered something to him that I still can't believe to this day. "I'll miss you." Embry stopped walking to look down at me. I cracked my eyes open just enough to see his expression. His smile couldn't possibly get any bigger.

"I'll miss you more," he assured me and the last thing I felt before drifting off were his lips pressed to my forehead.

**A/N: Thanks to my wonderful new Beta, MonkeyMojo! I hope everyone likes this chapter. You start to understand that Sophie's a bit more privileged than most. She'll get better… a little. Thank to all my readers and reviewers!**


	5. Daring to Be More

"When I say when, kick it

"When I say when, kick it."

"Okay."

"Now!" The ball rolled by me. "Okay, you were supposed to kick it."

"You didn't say _when_. You said 'now'," I corrected Embry and he smacked a hand to his face letting it drag down in an exaggerated motion.

"This is going to be harder than I thought," he muttered to himself as Quil snorted behind me. "You know what, better idea. Quil you pitch the ball and I'll stand next to her to help her." Embry and Quil switched positions. See, Embry had gotten this crazy idea to try and help me at P.E. The only subject I was failing. Miserably, I might add.

Wood shop turned out to be so much fun because Quil just did all my projects for me. He was a fast worker so he had spare time to assist. I didn't need any help with my academic studies. It was just the physical education that was seriously lacking. The rest of the pack found this extremely humorous. I did not. It's just that the P.E. teacher gave out these random pop quizzes and I failed every single one of them. They were so hard! For instance, hit a baseball past the twenty yard line. Quil, Embry, and everyone else in the class could do this flawlessly, except me. I couldn't even see it to hit it. I had no idea how they did it because personally I felt like you needed twelve eyes to make sure the bat connected with the ball. Embry assured me, most humans could do it with two. I pointed out that he was a werewolf and he chuckled, saying he could do it with his eyes closed; all he had to do was _listen_.

I felt Embry's hands on my waist as he leaned down to my short height. His mouth was next to my ear; his breath was in my hair. I don't know how he thought this would help because it made it all the more complicated. Everything came unfocused and I had to try and swallow my blush. It was a vain attempt.

"_When_." Suddenly my foot jerked forward from an unknown force behind it and my toe collided with the ball sending it sailing over Quil's head.

"Did you see that?!" I cried joyously and flipped around to look at Embry. He was grinning scratching his head with one of his very large hands.

"I did. That was all you."

"Oh don't be ridiculous we know it was you, but still! That was amazing! I feel accomplished or something!" I said breathlessly, trying to find the words to describe my excitement. It was thrilling! Was that why men played sports? For the sense of exertion that it supplied?

"Wow, and she hasn't even won yet. She just kicked it," Quil said amazed, cocking up one hip and putting his hands over his eyes to try and scout where the ball rolled into the forest. "Be right back." And he was gone, off trying to get the ball back from the dense underbrush.

"You know, this would be better if we had more players," Embry mused aloud.

"And more practice," I added and he nodded his head in agreement.

True to his word, the next day we recruited pack members who wanted to play with us and we moved to an open field. I was so nervous, fidgeting my free hand, Embry was holding my other one, (yes, that was as far as we'd gotten in two weeks,) on the way over there. The pack was going to laugh at me. Well, at least I knew what to do this time, but that wasn't much comfort. I trudged along, stealing peeks at Embry who was stealing peeks at me. He really was taking our relationship slow. In the past week he had only touched me when necessary, (except in kickball practice,) he kept his distance as much as he could, and he always gave me time to myself when I needed it. I had really gotten the better end of the stick there because sometimes when Embry didn't know, I could see him staring at me with this hunger in his eyes. It was like he was fighting a constant uphill battle for my affection. He wanted me to like him, but he also wanted us to move faster. Which just wasn't going to happen, and he knew that. I really felt bad for him. One night, when they thought I was asleep, I could hear Emily practically drilling these things into his head. How I was scared and new and all together not ready for this type of commitment. Try as I might, I just couldn't get my feelings to kick it up past the 'maybe I sort of like you' stage. I needed a bit of motivation. Maybe I was the one who would have to set the pace here because I didn't think Embry was taking us places any time soon.

We arrived at the field and the teams were split Embry, me, and Paul, (I know right? I didn't get why he was there either,) on one side and Quil, Collin, and Brady on the other. They all claimed they didn't need a referee because they were fair.

Right. This was going to end in disaster.

I was the first one up to kick. Quil, being the kind hearted soul that he is, pitched it slowly and I did what I could with it. I heard them scream, "Bunt!" as I flew to first base. See, they were trying to be fair, so I had an entirely different set of bases from them. While theirs were yards and yards apart, mine were normal human ones. I stopped at first as Brady gave me a high-five. Yeah, they weren't even going to try with me.

Embry was the next up. Quil pitched the ball faster than humanly possible and when Embry kicked it, it flew back faster than Collin could run. Collin caught it on the bounce and threw it to Brady who was ready and waiting for me at my third base. Okay, so maybe they _were_ going to try with me. I stopped mid-stride in the middle of third and second base at a loss for what to do. Luckily, Embry was on his toes and he didn't stop at his first base, he rounded the corner and Brady saw this as a golden opportunity to get him out. He bypassed me and ran to collide with Embry at their second as I continued to my third. It was all very confusing. Brady just should have stuck with me in the first place because Embry and I couldn't have been on second base at the same time according to the rules I was told, but maybe he was a bit messed up from having two sets of bases, or maybe he just wanted a bit of revenge against Embry for something I didn't know about. Whatever the reason, Embry put on a burst of speed I didn't know he possessed and he made it to second with a few seconds to spare, and I made it to third. Brady was so disappointed that I almost stepped off the base so he could tag me out, but only almost.

Paul was up next. He kicked it straight down the third base line. I had to duck so it wouldn't take off my head and that's when Embry nearly came charging off the bases.

"What do you think you're doing? Are trying to kill her?" Embry roared at Paul.

"It was an accident!" he yelled right back in the same menacing tone.

"So I guess we're going to say that was foul then, yeah?" Quil tried to lighten the mood, but it didn't really work. Our team pretty much fell apart as Embry and Paul weren't getting along. Plus they had me, the weak little girl on their team. So I presumed it miraculous when it started pouring, ending the game then and there. Quil's team would have won anyway. Everyone set off at a leisurely pace (for them!) back to Emily's cottage and Embry grabbed my hand to make me move a little faster. The rain was coming down in sheets, obscuring my long range vision so I couldn't see where I was going, and soaking me to the bone within seconds, but I had a warm resolve. An idea had come to me.

I yanked against Embry's strength, which basically means nothing, but he looked back at me with a questioning gaze. I moved closer. I wanted to see his face. I wanted to memorize this moment even down to the last rain drop that was threatening to drip down from his glossy hair.

Then I leapt. Figuratively and physically.

I jumped up to throw my arms around his neck, smashing my frozen lips into his soft warm ones. He responded eagerly, catching me up in his arms and lifting me off my feet. I found myself holding close to him for warmth, there wasn't any space between us. My tongue parted his lips and then I could taste him. If I ever wondered what Embry would taste like I never would have thought it could be this incredible. I swear, in the movies you hear and see couples' first kisses. How the actors make them out to be like the world was tilting off its axis, but never did I think that it could actually be real. My hands grabbed at his short wet hair, raking my fingers through it, sending another whole set of raindrops against my face. I'd kissed other boys, but kissing Embry made every part of me tingle. Or maybe that was the rain. Either way I couldn't stop. His tongue worked furiously against mine as I gasped for air. I couldn't get enough. I never wanted this moment to end. Then just as that thought came to me, it did. The howling was the most embarrassing part, but then again it might tie with the catcalling.

Embry released me and I could faintly make out a blush across his cheeks. I squinted in the direction of the forest where the dense trees held a group of adolescent boys laughing stupidly with each other. Embry snorted impatiently as he pulled me towards them. When we approached the teasing began and didn't stop for the entire way home.

When we arrived at Emily's house I was almost to the point of violence. I didn't know how Embry was keeping it together. So what, we kissed? Big deal. We were soul mates anyway, but I guess when you live in a small town even the tiniest bit of scandal is big news.

I don't think I realized just how cold I was until I sat down on the floor. I was still on some form of adrenaline from the kissing, but as soon as my butt hit the chair I started shivering uncontrollably.

"Hey Embry, uh, I think you might want to tend to your girlfriend," Brady called to him in the other room. Everyone else was getting changed and Brady had been the first one to finish. Apparently Emily's house had a lot of extra clothing. Even though it was silly of me and I should have been more concerned I was going to contract pneumonia, a little thrill went through my stomach when I heard the term 'girlfriend'. It just goes to show you where my priorities lay at that point.

Embry hurtled into the room, took one look at me shaking so violently I almost fell out the chair, and he picked me up to bring me into my room.

"Do you think you can change?" he asked me sweetly as I tried to nestle closer to his chest for warmth. I felt so bad because I was just getting him soaked again. I tried to nod for him because I couldn't use my voice; my teeth were chattering so much. "I'll be right outside."

It's harder than you think taking off wet clothes when you're nearly incapacitated. I quickly changed into a sweatshirt and sweat pants. My long hair was not working to my advantage right then. It was retaining so much water that my sweatshirt was getting soaked. Embry had a solution. One that I should have thought of. My hair dryer.

It must have looked ridiculous to the rest of the boys as Embry blow dried my hair into soft waves. Then he picked me up, brought me to the couch with a blanket and I curled myself around his body. I didn't care. I stuck my cold hands up his shirt so they could be closer to his warm hard chest, his hands rubbed my feet up and down trying to get them warmer, and I stuck my face into his large bicep.

"I wonder what Emily's going to say when she sees this," I heard one of the boys mutter.

"I wonder what _Sam's_ going to say."

"Are you okay?" Embry whispered to me and for once I didn't have the strength to be mad at him for asking me that. So I nodded off to sleep.

That was the last time Embry and I were together for a while. I bet you're thinking, _Yep, Sam hit the roof huh?_ No, he didn't. Embry told me he was a little puzzled, but Sam didn't see anything wrong with him warming me up, though Sam did suggest that he throw me in the shower next time. It got the job done faster. No, the reason I didn't see him, or the rest of the pack for that matter, was because they were doing 'pack' business. The boys didn't even come to school for an entire week! I know, so it made my life even more miserable. The only up side was that Kim and I finally began to talk, like really talk, because before most of her attention was focused on Jared.

"What is there to _do_ in this town?" I asked her one day near the end of the week at lunch.

"Nothing really, I mean there aren't any places to go clothes shopping and the only thing to do really is hang out with other people," Kim giggled momentarily and then looked away towards another table to a group of girls. I followed her gaze. Those must have been her old friends. "I love Jared and I'm thrilled we're going out, but…," she trailed off. I figured she didn't want to say anything bad against her boyfriend. I understood that, so I would do it for her.

"But you miss having friends," I finished and she nodded emphatically.

"That's why I'm glad you're here. You understand where I'm coming from. I have Emily, but she's older, and then Claire's a toddler so that doesn't work out," she explained and I remembered Embry trying to clarify that one to me. Yeah, strange didn't even begin to cover that situation.

"So where's the nearest mall?" I gasped out. My mind was already working in over drive, thinking that there just had to be one in the state, didn't there? I mean, it was Washington, but still.

"There's one about an hour away in Seattle." I let out every single molecule of air from my lungs in relief. Thank God, mall equals salvation. Maybe that's what I needed.

"So Kim, what are you doing after school today?"

"Nothing, why?" she turned to me in complete ignorance. Oh, she had no idea what she was getting herself into. I coined the term 'shop 'til you drop.'

888888888888

"No, I can't let you get that for me!"

"Why not, you drove us here so I'll buy the clothes." I pulled out my shiny platinum visa and handed it to the woman behind the cash register. The price didn't concern me at all. In fact, we were getting clothes cheap compared to what I normally spent. Kim didn't say another word until we were out of the department store.

"So what now?" she questioned me. She'd clearly never gone on a shopping spree.

"Now, we need matching shoes," I told her seriously and she giggled with delight. I was noticing that giggling was sort of a habit of hers. She giggled at everything and anything. Sometimes it was almost contagious. Almost.

An hour later after shoe shopping she asked me the same question again.

"So what now?"

"How strongly are you attached to you're hair cut?" She claimed not much, so an hour and a half after that the same question was asked to me again, but this time she wasn't hesitant. Kim was ecstatic; she was having the time of her life as she flipped her newly laired bangs out of her face. That was just what I was working up to. I needed her high on the rush of shopping to attempt what I wanted to attempt.

"How do you feel about lingerie?" Well that made her giggle endlessly, but I did have her make it into the shop without making us look too ridiculous.

"Are you sure about this?" Kim whispered to me as I pushed her into the dressing room to try a few things on. "I mean look at some of this stuff." She picked up a lacy nightgown out of the pile I'd given her and I had to admit that it _was_ sort of see-through.

"Think how much Jared would like it," I told her with a wink and she simply shrugged her shoulders before disappearing behind her stall door. This was so much fun. It was nearly sinful, but I couldn't do this every day. We'd buy out the entire mall if we did.

On our way home Kim fretted the whole time about all the stuff I bought her. I told her not to worry about it. It wasn't like I had that many friends to buy new wardrobes for over here. That made her smile.

"Yeah Sophie, I guess we are friends, huh?"

"Yep, we sure are."

Kim dropped me off at the cottage with all my stuff. I read the note Emily had left for me saying she'd be in the Makah reservation for a little while, which left me with nothing to do. I tried to watch TV, but all the shows were either boring or reruns. I was so restless. I'd shopped for hours and I still felt like I could run a marathon. I was sure it was nervous energy or something like that. So how do you get rid of that? My solution was to take a hike. I know, right? So out of character for me, but can you think of something better? I certainly wasn't going to cook! I hated cooking, everything about it. Ew. Yeah, that about sums it up.

I put on some comfortable tennis shoes and outdoor clothes, before starting out into the wilderness. I'd never really wanted to explore nature before, but now that it was in front of me I felt curious. I wandered aimlessly through the trees, entranced that nearly every single one had a different form. Some trees were short and thick; others were tall and lean. Some were chunky and ladled down with leaves, while others were completely bare. It really was something else.

The land started to slope up and I found that I liked going more to the left where the trees were sparse. It was easier to appreciate them one at a time. Wasn't this were the clearing was that we played kickball in? I was sure that this was the way. Maybe it's a little farther, just a little farther, I kept saying to myself. Which turned out to be the dumbest idea I'd ever had. I stopped short and did a little twirl. It was then that I realized I had no clue how to get back. I was lost.

Night enveloped around me fully and strange noises started whirling about in the forest. Creaks and loud cracks echoed off in the distance. Were those guns? I was so frightened. I turned to run, hopefully in the right direction, but tree roots have a funny way of sneaking up on you in the dark. I tripped and jammed my knee into a lone rock. I scrambled into a tree hollow to assess the damage and maybe to look a little less tasty to whatever was out there. My knee was bleeding and trying to stop it was no good. If I just sat here then maybe someone would come for me, right? I reached into my pocket, hoping beyond hope that maybe I did in fact bring my phone, but it was empty like I knew it was. I'd left it on the kitchen counter.

I sat until I could sit no more. It felt like hours I'd been staring at the same scenery. My cut had all but dried up, stopping the bleeding. I got up to walk again. I thought, _you know Sophie, this isn't a good idea. This is not a good idea_, but I did not listen to myself. No I did not. I just continued walking, and walking, and walking, and for my health walking a little bit more. I had to run into civilization sometime, but apparently fate didn't agree with that logic.

I was so exhausted by this point that when I saw the first cave I'd ever seen in my life I nearly leapt for joy. This is how people in the movies always survived. Who said movies couldn't teach you anything? I clambered up the few steep boulders a few feet below the cave. The moonlight shone in it, illuminating the entrance. I was nearly to the top when a faint movement shifted out of the cave. I stopped, barely breathing. I tried to crouch down lower, but it was nearly impossible as I was already squatting down as low as I could go. Then it emerged. A huge brown bear, with broad shoulders and fierce wild eyes. I could give an accurate description, you see, because its face was parallel to my own. I screamed, stupidly, right before my foot slipped off the small ledge and I fell to the ground, landing spread eagle as the bear stood up on his hind legs right in front of me. It roared in triumph.

**A/n: Thank to everyone who leaves me a review! I enjoy them so much! Thanks to my wonderful beta MonkeyMojo who takes the time to edit this. Sorry about the cliffy, but I hope you like this chapter as I do!**


	6. Embry's Side

_Embry's POV_

**A/N: I started thinking…so, what would Embry feel like when he met Sophie? Would it be just as weird….nah. But I still wanted to know all his emotions and everything like that so I decided to type up a small summary of what the past few chapters were like for him. Sorry that you don't have the conclusion to the last cliffhanger, but I feel like this is important and I won't take so long to update next time. I promise! Oh, and if you feel like this chapters a little jumpy, you're right, but I had to fit his perspective of five chapters in one.**

When I saw her it was like my life was taken from me. At first I was void of any feelings for myself. _She_ only mattered. I felt like an empty shell waiting to cloak myself around her like a shield so I could protect her for all time. Then all the emotions slammed into me. There aren't words to describe what I was feeling because I'd never felt these things before for anyone. The love that pulsated through my veins was unbearable. I thought it would consume my body and half of me wanted it to happen. I gave into the strange urges that swirled around me trying and failing to comprehend what was happening to me. Then I realized exactly what I was doing. I was imprinting, with this beautiful girl in front of me. I couldn't even look straight at her for fear that her beauty would obliterate my soul completely. It was painful to see her because she was so breathtaking. Yes, that's a word to describe her, _breathtaking_.

I felt every muscle in my body spasm out of control, the only reason I remained standing was because of Jared, but the only reason I remained living, I quickly realized, was for her. I'd been working up to this moment for sixteen years of my life and now I've finally understood the point for existing. It was because of her. It was _for_ her, and I had yet to figure out her name. I could feel Jared's fingers shaking me trying to free my mind to control my body once more, but I couldn't, until she got in the car to leave me.

The face she displayed was enough to pierce my newly found heart. My wolf reflexes kicked into overdrive as I dodged her car from hitting me then I ran after her. This woman who was now my life drove off without me. She was frightened of me and I didn't blame her. I was a monster who was in love with the world's most perfect creation.

Pain wracked my body as I convulsed wildly out of controlled. I hadn't phased in months without my mind's consent, but the emotions were overwhelming. My self-loathing was more than I could stand and I broke free of my skin to run into the trees, my only sanctuary or so I thought.

Jared followed after me probing into my mind and private thoughts. So did Seth, Sam, Brady, who were already in their wolf forms and Jake though he didn't respond like the rest did because he was forever a wolf now. He continuously tried to tune the pack out as much as possible, but I could still hear a little whimper issue from him as he felt my pain through our absurd connection. Jared explained quickly what had happened to me to the others as they were confused when they tasted the direction my thoughts were going. Sam understood and sympathized immediately, but the rest didn't. I'd never really _hated_ being a werewolf until that point. The point where I realized that this curse had brought me my true love and driven her away just as quickly. I would never see her again, that was the only thing I was sure of.

It was the worst night of my life without a doubt. My chest throbbed with a slow and steady ache that increased with time. The more I thought of her the sharper the pain smashed against my lungs. I contemplated running away like Jake because I finally understood the pain he was feeling, if not more, but Quil trailed me endlessly throughout the night and next day. Sam said he could not afford another loose cannon werewolf.

Then came my salvation. I hadn't phased back yet because I just couldn't control any part of me all day. I felt Seth's excited thoughts enter my mind as he phased quickly. The picture of my love swam into view behind the lids of my eyes followed by one word. _Sophie._

I felt my muscles burning as I reached the point where Seth had designated he'd bring her. I was the first one there, pacing restlessly against the trees. Everyone wasn't far behind, even Seth and Sophie. Paul was the first to pick up their movements out into the open night because my mind was elsewhere. It was exultant because I finally realized that she wasn't gone at all! She was here! I just had to convince her to stay with me. I had to prove my devotion to her. I could do that, couldn't I?

Every thought flew out of my head when I saw her limp, pale form in Seth's folded arms. I growled deeply from the back of my throat very nearly phasing again, but I couldn't. Sophie was here, in harms way, no matter what I had to keep control, if only for her. Seth didn't deserve the anger I threw at him, but I couldn't stop myself. It was the only way to release my pent up frustrations. How was I going to make her stay with me? How was I going to do this?

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_I swear, Embry! If you don't shut up-_

_Leave him alone Paul, he deserves to be happy for once._ I heard Jared's voice float through my own mind during my night on patrol with those two. I couldn't stop thinking of Sophie and the night before at Emily's. I'd finally got to see her fully in the light, not that it would have mattered because Sophie was more to me than just her looks, but I got to bask in the smugness that her loveliness was perfection. Everyone admitted she looked like an angel, even Paul grudgingly.

Walking into Emily's kitchen was a moment that I would never forget. In fact, it was that moment that kept playing over and over again in my mind that annoyed Paul so much. I stepped into the already too crowded kitchen just as Sophie lifted her face to meet my gaze. It was like that story I had heard in history class of a sculptor who fell so deeply in love with the statue of a woman he had carved that the gods granted her life. If I could have carved a statue of my perfect woman, Sophie would have been her replica and I would have been a fool in love just like the sculptor. Her perfect cheekbones stuck out just enough to compliment her curved, feline-like, blue eyes. It sent shivers down my spine as I fell into the blue ocean tones of her irises. I'd always loved the special color of the ocean. How it was a simple deep blue, yet when light poured into the equation, the shades it became was endless. Much was the same with Sophie's eyes. Her small, but full lips were open to form a little 'O' as she stared me down. My eyes traced this path down her face several times before they finally rested on the soft waves that were her hair. I could sit and write a small novel about its perfection. I won't though, but I will say that the sweet golden color was none that could have been copied from any hair dye.

And all that went through my head within the first few seconds.

I could have literally punched Sam in the face when I didn't make it in time to walk Sophie to school that first day. I hated him for making me double back along the back borders of La Push when he knew full well that nothing would be there. Yet, all my annoyance and anger was forgotten once I saw her in Gym.

I felt the lightness of my love spring back into my body. My heart finally felt like it was pumping to its full capacity once again. It thudded noisily against my ribcage as I stared wide-eyed into her amazed face once she spotted me with Quil.

All my happiness was to be cut soundly when kickball was announced. I knew it was going to be bad as soon as Chad had finagled Sophie into believing that getting first kick was better than being able to kick last. My instincts screamed to me that she had no clue what she was doing, but I ignored them. I pushed them aside and wrote it off as my over-protective side being way out of line. She was fine. I was sure of it.

I was wrong.

The first pitch was just as I feared. She missed it on purpose. I could see Quil flashing me eyes of worry, but there was nothing I could do to stop the game from continuing. There was no way that I could have seen the embarrassment coming. There was no way I could have known how awful that stupid bitch of a teacher would be to her. My fists shook with fury when I heard the words that sealed Sophie's fate for popularity reasons. I couldn't believe how tactless she could be. It made me wonder just how awful the rest of Sophie's day had been.

My poor, innocent love was crying. I could smell the salt of her tears all the way down here. It burned my nostrils sending me into a tizzy. Quil's nose perked up as well and we both grimaced at each other. I think I died a little when I saw her shielding herself from my view. She didn't trust me and I didn't blame her. It wasn't like I was doing a good job protecting her. I was only failing her because she was leaning so heavily on me. I'd brought her to this stupid school that made her cry.

I felt my arms itching to scoop her up as she trudged down the bleachers to greet me. I just wanted to entangle her small form into my arms and never let her leave my side. I would fight anyone off that would hurt her, physically and emotionally. When she snapped at me I didn't even blame her. I never could, of course, but I knew I'd deserved it.

She was so much more than I could ever be. I'd known that when she'd pulled out her sidekick phone and designer luggage, but it wasn't just her money. It was the fact that she was so vulnerable. She'd put herself out there to be loved and I was not showing her the love that she deserved. Well, I waited for her outside that locker room. I would bind myself to her no matter what, unless she banished me from her presence by her own lips.

Yet I failed again.

Walking home that day was terrible. I didn't know how to bring up what happened at lunch with Paul. How could I explain to her what I was banned to tell her? She couldn't understand because she wasn't supposed to and I know that was frustrating. I'd been in her shoes. On the outside looking in and wondering all the while why you weren't included. I knew that feeling all to well.

The only thing I could think of to at least try and ease her anxiety was to be myself. If we were soul mates then she was my other half. I'd been so worried about trying to be every where and defend her that I hadn't showed how much I could just be Embry.

Her tinkling laugh on the couch sparked something deep inside of me. Something that I knew was missing. That simple laugh triggered unparalleled happiness. There were no words in the English or Quiluete language to explain how I felt at that moment. I lived for that laugh. I would give her anything I could, the few things I did possess, to hear it again and again.

I wanted her to feel included not only within the pack, but at school. This was harder than I imagined. Paul still hated her, everyone else didn't really no what to think of her slight ignorance in almost everyday tasks, and the students at school were merciless. Especially the girls.

I don't know how much Sophie heard, but if it was even half the amount that I did I couldn't understand why she hadn't packed up and left already. I knew she stuck it out for me and that made me feel even worse. It wasn't that Sophie was weird, it was that she _wasn't_. She was enviable so everyone combined forces to hate her. The girls made up ridiculous rumors about her being a 'typical blonde'. That she wasn't even _that_ pretty. Though, I do believe they ate their words when nearly every male head turned in her direction all the time in the hallways. I wonder if she ever noticed how the boys all gawked, but didn't dare approach her as the pack and I had spread word about her being linked to me. I didn't want to be overbearing, but she was _mine_. I was going to get to her heart soon and I wasn't going to have any stupid punk who thought they could hurt her get to her. Besides, I wanted her to myself. Quil had to hold me back a few times in the P.E. locker rooms when I heard some very inappropriate comments about her. They weren't _allowed_ to say _that_ about her. I

t was with that thought that I knew I'd dived right past the deep end. I needed to cool down. Yet, I couldn't. Emily warned me to keep myself in check and I tried desperately to avoid any and all contact with her because she did things to me that I didn't want to think about. She'd be frightened if she knew where my thoughts were half the day and most of the time they were in the gutter.

I quickly realized Sophie was in dire need of help in the physical education department. I thought it was adorable how she tried so hard to be great at something. It pained me to see her face fall every time she failed a quiz in P.E. I needed to step in. The teacher clearly didn't see how hard she tried like I could. I really hated that woman.

I knew that I shouldn't touch her, but I couldn't help myself. It was the sweetest torture in the world to be so near her, to breathe in her scent, to feel her soft flesh beneath my fingers, and know that I couldn't touch her yet. She was so frightened. How could I force myself on her? I so desperately wanted to though. To just taste her, no, not even that, to just feel those soft lips that called to me always. That would be more than enough for a lifetime. I swear I wouldn't ask for anymore.

It. Was. _Bliss_.

I don't know how I deserved this, but I didn't want to tempt fate and question why Sophie kissed me like this. Without mercy, she pushed her eager body against mine in the pouring rain. I hated how her skin was so icy and it worried me much more later, but then all I could think about was how she wanted me. It sent my blood pooling into places that it shouldn't be going to, especially with Sophie against me. I tried to stop her, but I found myself just falling deeper into the mystery that was Sophie De Lorme. She was intoxicating as her stubby fingers pulled through my hair. Just that simple touch would have brought me to my knees if I hadn't known that Sophie was delicate and falling to the ground wouldn't have kept her very safe.

Having a bunch of immature brothers wasn't ever fun, but I found out the hard way. Especially if you kiss your girlfriend for the first time in front of them. They teased me mercilessly as we went after whatever stupid thing Sam had the pack chasing for an entire week. He'd thought that the time was near, but he didn't have any proof to invade past our borders. _Yet_.

I couldn't keep my thoughts off Sophie and it was driving everyone mad. I knew I should start to focus on my duties to the tribe, but these terrible fantasies kept rolling into my head without my conscious consent. Leah was particularly disgusted, Sam kept telling me to keep on task, Quil couldn't stop sniggering, and Seth, I felt, appreciated some of the images in my thoughts a little too much for my liking.

Those days felt endless and I knew we wouldn't find anything once again. There would be no evidence, but Sam felt like he owed Jake. I'm not sure my best friend would have wanted it this way though. In fact, I'm almost sure.

It was then as we were on our way back that I felt a little off. Like something was wrong with the very air I inhaled. I couldn't quite catch a lungful of delicious oxygen, but I couldn't figure out why.

Everything was fine. I told myself and other's confirmed this as well. They couldn't understand why I'd felt so restless, but we split up to go to our own houses. I was exhausted and running on low fuel, as I hadn't eaten in a while. I was looking forward to eating a good meal and taking a hot bath when suddenly Jared's voice was frantic against the background of my peaceful thoughts.

_Sophie! She's gone!_ That was all I needed to hear from him. It took but the work of a moment for me to find my reserve strength and run towards the place she should be, Emily's. My mind raced and I finally realized why everything had been so off before. Something was horribly wrong. It felt like something was missing from my chest. Like something had disappeared for good. I ran harder, convincing myself that I was already too late.

**a/n: I do enjoy reviews! They make me ever-so happy! Good? Bad? Annoyed you haven't found out about Sophie's well-being? Yeah, I'd be too.**


	7. The Antics of Fear and Wheelchairs

It's strange how life threatening situations can make you extremely cognizant of your surroundings. For instance, there was a pebble jammed into my lower back, my ankle was throbbing because I landed on it wrong, I felt like I couldn't drag in enough air to stay conscious let alone yell, the full moon was really beautiful tonight, and oh, yeah this bear was really fucking enormous.

Death was something I was not prepared for. I didn't welcome it, didn't really want it, but life wasn't fair. At that thought I chuckled out of hysterical fear, I was _so_ done for. The bear took one look at my smiling face and went down on all four paws again. It's front left paw barely missed my head while it's right paw landed square on my shoulder. I heard rather than felt a sickening crack. It's weight nearly crushed my resolve in half to live. It was so heavy and I was sobbing so deeply that I couldn't breathe correctly at all. The bear's face was right next to mine again, it's drool dripped out of it's mouth, and even though it was growling ferociously I could barely hear it. I was more concerned with the warm liquid that was soaking my golden hair. I looked down and almost vomited. My collar bone was sticking out of my skin, protruding vibrantly white against the red blood and dark bear claw next to it.

I looked up ready for my face to join the club with my mangled shoulder, but suddenly something flew out of no where colliding with the bear's right side and then it was gone. I felt the relief of the bear's weight off of me instantly and for a shimmering moment I thought that I might want to live. Then I felt the pain. It twisted my stomach and I started gagging involuntarily. I was going to choke on my own throw up because if I moved I was surely going to die from the excruciating pain. There was just no way to describe it. I wasn't even concerned with the movement going on to my left. I just needed to escape my body. Why wouldn't it let me pass out? Then again maybe if I did I wouldn't wake up again. I'd lost so much blood.

"Sophie? Oh fuck. _Oh my god_." I heard someone panicking next to me. I couldn't move to see who it was; I just focused on my breathing. They stepped into the light and I saw Brady green in the face as he stared down at me.

"If you're going to puke get out of here." I heard the commanding voice of Sam. Oh thank the lord, but when he came into my field of vision there was three of him. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as the pain started to get to me or the blood loss. One of the two.

"Sophie, listen to me. Stay with me please." Sam's voice echoed and then I was gone. Free from the pain and I finally got what I wanted. The last thing I remember thinking was where was Embry? He was the only one I really needed to see. He hadn't come and I shouldn't have been disappointed, but I was.

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It was so quiet when I woke up. The light was so bright and I groaned trying to lift my hand to shield it from my eyes, but it hurt like a bitch.

"Sophie?" I heard the soft voice of a girl and I cracked my eyes a bit to see Kim's smiling face. "You're awake!"

"Am I?" If this was awake then let me go back to sleep forever. I felt like shit.

"Everyone's gone down to the cafeteria to eat. I told them I'd stay and watch over you." Kim explained sidling up to me to scoot the blankets up to my chin. I finally took a glimpse around and realized I was in a hospital room. I must have been hooked up to thirty machines all issuing different noises.

"How long have I been out?" I dreaded the answer to this, yet it was better than the other question that I wanted to know but didn't want to ask.

"Four days." I winced and Kim looked morose at her own answer. "I know, Embry's been going out of his mind with worry. He nearly transitioned twice inside the hospital he was so angry with himself."

"Really?" I whispered. I didn't want him to be. It was all my fault, it really was. I was so touched that he truly believed my stupidity wasn't to blame. What a silly boy.

"I know! It's mine! If I would have just come in with you, you wouldn't have wandered off, but I wanted to get home and hide my clothes before my mom got home! I just can't believe this!" Kim exclaimed and threw herself on top of me. I yowled in pain as she landed on me and then she backed off her face draining of blood. "Oh I'm so sorry! I'm so dumb!" She sobbed her words getting tangled from behind her hand as she tried to muffle her cries.

"Kim! It's ok it wasn't your fault it was mine. Why would you ever think you had anything to do with my free will?" She simply shook her head sadly before very carefully sliding herself to sit on the hospital bed with me.

"Do you know who found me?" I asked her seriously and she nodded numbly.

"Embry of course."

"What do you mean? Embry wasn't there at all. I remember Sam and…Brady I think, but how did I get out of there?" I was so confused. I tried to sit up to get closer to Kim, but she pushed me back down gently.

"Hm, let me explain this from the beginning. I called Emily's house to ask you if I left one of my bags at your house, only Emily answered. She said she hadn't seen you at all. I knew something was wrong. I didn't know how to get in touch with anyone because I had no idea where the pack was. I ran to Emily's house, Jared must have smelled me outside because he came running up to me asking what was wrong. He can always tell if I've gone out of my mind with worry, like I had about you. I told him my suspicions and he shot off like a rocket to tell Embry. They found you an hour later following your trail out of Emily's house. Embry was the one who fought the bear. He pushed it off of you. Then when you blacked out he ran with you to the car, then we all went to the hospital. You should have seen him Sophie. He was going crazy with concern when you wouldn't respond during the drive there." Kim explained to me before reaching over to close my wide-opened mouth.

"Embry did all that?" I gasped out.

"I told you. He loves you silly. It's impossible not to love our werewolves back, eh?" She giggled and looked off in another direction, probably thinking about Jared.

"So, did Jared like your hair?" Kim giggled again at my random comment before grinning shyly through her tears.

"He said I looked sexy." Now I was the one giggling. It hurt, but it was so worth it. It made my spirits buoyant.

Then came the pack. They all walked in one by one chatting with themselves quietly. Seth was the first one in the door and the first one to notice I was awake.

"Sophie's up!" He yelled to everyone behind him and they all filed into my room leaving it pretty crowded. Embry took up post on my left side.

"Please don't ever do that to me again." He pleaded with wide eyes. They were blood shot and fearful. It looked like he hadn't slept in days. I think that was my doing.

"I'm sorry." I whispered looking back at him in remorse. He bowed his head against my hip.

I almost didn't catch his next words, but there they were for everyone else to hear as well. "I thought I lost you." I choked up. I didn't want to and I wasn't planning on crying with everyone in the room, but I did. Sobs ripped through my chest harder than I've ever cried before. I couldn't see anything with the tears swimming in my eyes, but I suddenly felt a large amount of warmth climb under the covers into the small bed with me. Embry curled around me as I couldn't move. He kissed my cheek every time a tear rolled down it and I thanked my lucky stars that I was alive with someone like Embry to love me.

"This is embarrassing." I muttered out of the corner of my mouth and of course the entire pack heard me.

So the best thing about having a sprained ankle and a surgically repaired broken collarbone was that I didn't have to hop around on crutches at school, I got a wheel chair and the second best thing was I didn't have to participate in P.E. class.

The boys had so much fun with me, or really the wheelchair I should say, particularly Paul who warmed to me in my time of need. I know that boy's so unpredictable. Paul loved sending me sailing down the school hallways at full speed then running after trying to catch me before I crashed into the wall. I swear it was better than a Disney world ride. Of course Embry put a stop to this once he found out about it, but it was still fun while it lasted. Seth loved to do tricks in it. I'd sit on the couch at Emily's house and watch him lean back perfectly balanced on the back two wheels. Brady and Collin thought it would be funny to try and see how badly they could hurt themselves in it. They tumbled off stairs in it, they tried standing up and surfing in it, just all sorts of stupid idiotic moves. Sam was the one who stopped that one. Jared thought it was beyond convenient because I got a temporary handicap parking pass which I let him use all the time. He said it saves him worlds of trouble and gas money. Embry loved being my personal assistant. He got out of class early to push me to my next class no matter where he was. I couldn't push myself because my shoulder wasn't properly healed yet. Sometimes I really did feel bad that he had to be everywhere I was, but he was always more than happy to do it. I think he took this as his personal penance. I enjoyed spending so much time with Embry; it helped us catch up; the mornings especially were my favorite.

"You know if you ever did attack me and hurt me I can actually say I got mauled by a bear because I really did!" I laughed as Embry pushed me along the road towards the school building on the last day I would have my wheel chair. He stopped and walked around to face me.

"That's not funny, Sophie. That could actually happen one day." His voice was grim, but I could hear what was truly underlining it. Fear. Embry was frightened that he was actually going to hurt me one day.

I took his face in my hands and made him look me straight in the eye. "Embry, I want you to know that if you ever did hurt me, which I don't think you will, but if you do I wouldn't blame you at all." I knew there was a very real possibility that I could end up looking like Emily one day. Hell, that day had already come look at me I was bandaged up more than a mummy, but if it did happen again it could never be Embry's fault because it was my choice to stay.

"In that case maybe I should make you leave me. I can't hurt you and have you forgive me. That would be unbearable." Embry chuckled continuing on with our trek to school.

"Luckily, I don't listen to you."

"You mean luckily I _let_ you do things your way?"

"I don't like you." I sniffed as he hit the nail on the head. Embry really was all about me. He let me do what I wanted. He just wanted me happy.

"Oh I think you do like me. I think you try so hard not to that it just rebounds and WHAM!" Embry let go of the wheel chair to smack his hands together. I looked back at him as his white teeth shone through brilliantly against his contrasting facial features.

"Then what?" I asked cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Then you like me double the amount in the first place."

"That makes absolutely no sense Embry."

"Sure it does." I had to grin at him and his logic. He was right. He was so right. I did like him. A lot.

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"I'm going to miss you." Jared told the little piece of paper as he handed it back to me at lunch that day. No more handicap parking spaces for him.

"I know to bad you heal psychotically fast. You'll never get one, sadly." I said sarcastically and I rolled my eyes at him collecting the paper to put it in my bag. Kim giggled and Jared turned to her with a scowl on his face.

"Do you know what would make my rehabilitation complete?" I asked Embry puffing out my lower lip a little.

"What's that?" He replied distracted as he tried to finish his English assignment that was due next period. The poor boy was always scrambling to finish homework. They all were. The entire pack was lax on their studies, but somehow was passing.

I looked to Paul and his face split into a grin. Embry looked up at the pause and then back and forth at Paul and I's smiling faces.

"No." He stated firmly

"Aw come on Embry just one more round." I pleaded and made the most pathetic looking face I could muster.

"Yeah Embry, please!" Paul mocked in a superficially high voice like my own. I winked at him.

"Once more Embry, once more." Quil joined in the fray making his voice an octave higher as well.

Paul, Quil, and I looked to Jared expectantly.

"What? She already took my parking pass." Jared exclaimed.

"User." Kim murmured to me and Jared feigned a look of wounded pride by grabbing a hold of his chest. "Ouch, dear."

"Fine, but only once." Embry conceded.

"YES!"

"_Once_."

Well, we did it more than once, but that was to be expected right? Who knew being nearly eaten by a bear was so much fun? I never had to cook anymore. I didn't have chores anymore. I loved being fawned over. Of course it came to an end right? Everything does.

We sat in the waiting room for my final check up. I really was going to miss this wheel chair. I think I was leaning on it a bit too heavily for my own liking so maybe it _was_ time to get rid of it.

"So I was thinking…" Embry trailed off as he kept his eyes down cast to the floor. He was way too big for these chairs.

"You know what I told you about that." I mock scolded him, but he didn't chuckle easily at my joke like I thought he would. He just kept going.

"I know I don't really understand what you're going through and that this whole imprint thing is strange. Even if I hadn't imprinted on you, I still might have asked you out, if I worked up enough courage, which probably would have never happened because you're so incredibly beautiful and smart and-"

"Embry."

"Right sorry, well what I was thinking was that we should go on a proper date. As if we didn't know we were already soul mates. I just want to make this as real for you as possible." Embry finally turned to me and I think I nearly fell over backwards in my chair. I can barely describe what that one look did to me, but if I was a werewolf and I could imprint I would have imprinted on him in a heart beat. My chest swelled with inhuman love and affection for him. For a moment I got a glimpse of what it must be like for him. Your whole world, your whole reason for existing was in the palm of someone's hand and what they did with that love was their choosing, but you could take care of it and nurture it to the best of your ability. It's what he was doing for me. In that moment I was so happy that Embry chose me. "Hold on." He said.

I watched Embry get up from his seat and disappear down the hallway. Um, this was not exactly what I had in mind. Why was he leaving me? A minute later he came strolling into the room casually not even bothering to look at me as he took a seat in a chair about two rows away from me. What the hell was his problem? I'd practically confessed my love for him, to myself of course, and he was going to go off the deep end? Seriously?

One minute passes. Two. Three. I gave up staring him down. Four. Fi-.

"Hello miss." I look up to see Embry towering over me. His hands are crossed over his chest loosely as if he's trying to look suave. What was he doing? He winked at me before continuing. "You new in town?"

"You could say that." I tell him uncertainly.

"You should visit our beaches. They're the best part."

"I would, sir, but you see I've no one to take me. Unfortunately, I've got nothing to do all weekend. My schedule's completely cleared." I sighed playing along with him for the moment.

"Why it just so happens I'm free all weekend too. It would be my pleasure to escort such a lovely lady to the beach. What do you say if I pick you up a six?"

"That's awfully nice of you… but I think I'll pass." I grabbed a magazine off the low table to flip through and bit my lip trying not to laugh. I could only imagine his face.

"Sophie don't ruin this for me." Embry said annoyed. Wow he was really being serious. Fine. I threw the magazine to the side.

"But you see I've already got a wonderful boyfriend. He's tall, dark, handsome, and a great kisser." I looked up at him innocently.

"I don't think he'll mind sharing you for one night." Embry placated and leaned down to my level.

"He gets jealous. Very protective you know."

"He has good reason to be." Embry looked meaningfully at my shoulder. "So, is that a yes?"

"It's a yes." I try to shrug nonchalantly then winced. My shoulder was still sore. "You know this is a first."

"What is?" Embry inquired

"Being hit on in a hospital waiting room." I laughed placing a kiss on his looming cheek. It was so soft and warm. I didn't want my lips to leave.

**A/N: Aw what a cutie. Tell me what you think!! I love reviews! **


	8. Learning Truths

Emily nearly died of euphoria when she heard Embry was taking me on a date

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! I truly enjoy them and they make me laugh. I'm not sure how to do an author's response or whatever on this sight so I'm going to take the time to answer a few questions. Sophronia…yes it does have significance in this story and you'll learn about it later, but in my defense I've actually worked at a sort of upper class summer camp and every kid has a strange name. (Like celebrities) That's just part of the reason her name's Sophronia though….**

**As for the part about me rushing through things. Yes I know I have a slight tendency to skip over silliness, but I do have this serious, serious problem with chapters that don't accomplish anything. Do you ever read those chapters and you're like… well what was the point of that? I always try and make my chapters at least have one crucial element to the story in it.**

**I have pics of Sophie and Embry on my profile if anyone hasn't checked that out yet and also one more thing, would anyone be seriously upset if I changed the rating? If so I guess I'll put it as a one shot on the side…. Review please!! Sorry this author's note is so long… eh read on.**

Emily nearly died of euphoria when she heard Embry was taking me on a date. She thought it was the cutest thing _ever,_ her words not mine. Though I was a bit smug because she complained unabashedly, while helping me get ready, about how Sam hadn't taken her out on a first date. Ha. I asked her exactly what had happened, but she didn't seem to want to answer that question. In fact, she downright avoided it for some reason.

I picked out jeans and a sweater because the weather was getting colder. I wasn't sure what we were going to do on a beach in the middle of fall, but I was almost sure it wouldn't involve swimming.

Embry was waiting for me at the front door wearing shorts, like always, and a button down shirt. It looked as if he'd attempted to comb his wild short hair one way, but didn't make much progress.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, looking down at me from his glorious six foot whatever. He was so massive and I was so small. Utterly insignificant. I felt like I could be his kid rather than his girlfriend, because compared to him I looked ridiculously young. Especially in the baby blue I was wearing.

"Th-thanks," I stuttered and he took my hand to lead me out of the house.

"I don't want her out any later than one," Emily scolded, but her smile gave her away. Embry waved back at her and opened the car door for me. A second later he hopped in on the other side and started the car.

"Is this your car?" I asked him as we pulled out.

"It's my mom's," he shrugged, not meeting my eye, but I could still see the blush spread across his cheeks, no matter how faint.

"When am I going to meet your parents?"

"Soon." He kept looking straight, not meeting my eye. He was lying to me. I don't think he had any intention of bringing me to his house. I realized then that we knew so little about each other's pasts. I'd only talked about mine when it was necessary and he barely talked about his life before being a werewolf. It was like we both wanted to forget it, but it was part of us. I know I didn't like my parents, but if we were going to be soul mates I would have to tell him about them, and vice versa eventually.

"So what's it like growing up in La Push?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

"Boring. It's been the same my whole life. Well, except for the part about turning into a werewolf."

"Yes, I can see how that would be really boring," I told him dryly and earned a grin from him.

"What about you? How's life in Florida."

"I wouldn't know," I muttered before looking out the window at the passing landscape.

"Why's that?"

"Because I've been in boarding school practically my whole life."

"Well your parents must really love you," Embry persisted as his dark eyes bored into my face.

"What gave you that impression?"

"They let you live down here with me. They care for you enough to pay for you to go to boarding school. You have a credit card for chrissake. They must love and trust you."

"Money isn't love," I stated in a hard voice, signaling the end of the conversation. What in the world was he talking about? Ever since I was born I'd been nothing but a burden to my parents. They didn't want kids. They told me that when I was three. What do you call that? Tough love?

Embry looked a bit frustrated. He kept sighing and drumming his fingers roughly against the steering wheel. There was so much I didn't understand about him, so could I be half-in-love with him? I didn't even know love, much less how to give it to someone. This date was a stupid idea.

We stayed quiet for the rest of the drive. Embry pulled the car over and we walked to the beach. We didn't hold hands. It felt like we were much farther apart than just a couple of feet. There was so much not said between us. It was like a big fat elephant that no one wanted to point out. We were so not compatible.

I squinted off into the distance. There was something laying in the sand… it was a picnic. I stopped and felt a lump rise in my throat. He'd made us a picnic with a basket, food, and a blanket to lie down on.

"What's the matter?" Embry stopped mid-step to look back at me concerned.

"You made us a picnic," I stated the obvious, pointing towards the blanket and basket.

"Do you not like picnics?" He started fidgeting and ran his hand through his hair nervously.

"No!" I exclaimed and held up my hands to stop his squirming. "It's just that no one's ever done something this nice for me before."

He shoved his hands in his pockets bashfully. "It's just sandwiches."

"It's perfect." I pulled down his head to kiss him gently on the lips before taking his hand and leading him towards our dinner. Just like that we were back to the way we were. I knew the past subject had to come up again sometime, but for now I was content to just let it rest.

"It's so hot!" Embry groaned, throwing one of his huge arms over his face to cover it. It was not hot at all. It was breezy and perfect. Everything about this date was perfect. We'd finished eating the sandwiches and lay side by side looking up at the sky.

"To us mere humans it feels just fine," I teased, reaching up to push his arm off his face. It should never be covered up because let's face it, he was kind of gorgeous. I knew every part of it. The high cheekbones that set off his thin pointed jaw. How his eyes perfectly captured every emotion he wanted to display or how his short dark brown hair was a complete mess, making him look beyond irresistible. I thought so at least.

Then an idea came to me. I looked over to him with a mischievous smile on my face. "Well, I can think of some ways to take your mind off of it." I whispered breathily, leaning into him. He peered over at me looking shocked, but that soon wore off.

"What did you have in mind?" he grinned as he scooted nearer.

We were so close, only centimeters apart, and then— "Race you to the water!" I shouted, pulling away before jumping up and running barefoot into the shallow crashing waves.

I looked back to see Embry momentarily stunned. Not for long. He unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the blanket before coming to join me. My jaw dropped. I'd seen him a few times with his shirt off, but it was at that moment as he walked to me in the sand with his skin contrasting perfectly with the dying sun, it was _then _that pure lust shot through me.

He was mouthwatering.

"Sophie?" Embry asked softly, looking a little hesitant. I shook my head, trying to get the fantasies to stop replaying over and over in my head.

"So we're going swimming then?" I teased trying to clear the uncomfortable air around us. I mean, if he was going to strip down then I was too. I wasn't getting my good clothes wet.

"If you want," he shrugged before dancing past me into a deeper section. He played in the waves, his back to me, as I ripped off my sweater leaving my cami underneath on and I discarded my jeans. I skipped off to join in with a big smile on my face. Who said he got to have all the fun?

It was so worth it. Embry turned at the sound of my approach and his eyes were bigger than saucers. "Sophie!" he gurgled out, but that's all he had time for because in an instant he was on me, all over me. I'll never know how he shot at me so fast, but what I did know was that I didn't care.

He wrapped his big arms around me to pick me up and I locked my legs around his waist as our lips melted together. His tongue was hot against my own, delving into every part of my mouth. I couldn't tell where I ended and he began. It felt like we were one. His chest scorched against my body and bare legs. His hands were every where supporting me, caressing me, digging into my flesh with desire. I felt it too, this need that pulsated from somewhere below my navel. I couldn't stop it, I didn't want to stop it, but I knew we should. The waves broke against our legs sending a refreshing coolness between us before we heated ourselves up again. It was a never ending cycle. My long gold hair swirled around us in the wind protecting our faces from the last of the sun's rays. I gasped his name as one of his hands slid up my shirt. I gripped his shoulders roughly for support because I thought I might pass out from the delicious tingles that he made me feel. His head dropped down to my shoulder as he pressed feather kisses along the newly pink scars from my surgery. I sighed and seized his lips again. My mouth needed him more.

Then someone cleared their throat.

I felt Embry's tongue freeze, and mine came to a sudden halt as well. My squirming insides suddenly turned to lead and I felt Embry's hand shift downwards and out from under my tank top. We separated and looked towards the beach. The entire pack stood assembled in the sand along with some girl that I'd never seen before. Her long dark hair stood up against the wind and her beautiful face showed an expression of disgust. Who was that?

Embry didn't seem to notice her. No, he had his eyes trained on the biggest and fiercest member, Sam. I slid slowly out of Embry's arms and he pushed his body in front to cover me. I peeked my head around his waist as Embry folded his arms on his chest in defiance.

I don't know how long Sam and Embry stared each other down, but I got a good look at the other boy's faces and they were all nearly gleeful. I had a feeling we had put on quite a show for them.

"Let's go. We've got pack business, immediately," Sam finally rasped out and I could tell he was _furious_. For what, I could only imagine an array of reasons. Probably for having to go find Embry, for having to catch us practically ripping each other's clothes off in the water, for having to be the one to keep everyone in line all the time, for not getting a little action of his own... Okay so I made that part up, he did have Emily, but it could be a reason, eh?

"Quil, could you throw me that blanket?" Embry jerked his head to the side and I saw Quil go and retrieve the blanket before balling it up to throw it to Embry. He turned around to face me with a sad smile on his face.

"So, this was fun," I whispered, trying to give him a winning smile. It didn't work. He just sighed and wrapped the blanket around me before giving me a little kiss on the forehead.

"I'll be back later." Then he was off. He drifted away as I stood motionless in the shallow end of the water. I went to lay the blanket back down in its original spot and I sat down heavily. I would just finish this date by myself then.

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Embry did not come back. He was gone again. He wasn't at school, none of the pack was. I became lonely again with only Kim as company. Emily liked to spend a lot of time at the Makah reservation when Sam wasn't around.

"So how do you like school?" Kim asked nicely at lunch that day.

"It's okay…," I trailed off. Kim could tell I was leaving something out. "Well, I'm just wondering why no one really talks to me. I've never had that much of a problem making friends," I confessed my insecurities to her and she looked away from me for a moment before looking back to me with repentance.

"That would probably be Embry's doing. Our boys tend to get a little… aggressive. You can hardly blame him though, you are really too pretty for your own good. Everyone only keeps away because…. Well just look at the pack. They're _enormous_."

I stared at Kim with my mouth open wide. What in the hell was she talking about?

"I thought everyone didn't like me because I was different," I voiced my worries aloud.

"Yeah, there's that problem too," Kim laughed momentarily before seeing my face. "I don't think that though." She sobered up quickly and cleared her throat. My new found annoyance seemed to build upon my resolve to rant out my frustrations.

"Where do they go?" I questioned Kim as I bit my nails cautiously. There wasn't any point really though because my pedicure had long since grown out.

" 'Pack Business'," Kim did the air quotes and I snorted. She giggled.

"Don't you ever get annoyed that they don't share things with you?" I muttered, irritated.

"What do you mean? Jared tells me everything." I gave her a look as she finished that statement and she rolled her eyes. "Except sometimes, like now."

"Not just now, I mean _everything_!"

"I don't get it."

"For example, if I tell Quil something in wood shop, Embry knows it by the next day. Or like their patrols. Just what are they patrolling, bears? And who in the world is Jake?" I exclaimed slamming my hand down on the table to make a point. Kim jumped back in surprise.

"Look, maybe you should be asking Embry—"

"And who was that girl?" I kept going full steam ahead cutting Kim off.

"What girl?" Kim looked puzzled so I explained about the girl that I saw on the beach.

"Oh, you mean Leah?" Kim widened her eyes and looked away.

"Who's Leah?"

"She's a," Kim dropped her voice and leaned in closer to me, "werewolf."

"She is?" I questioned loudly breaking out of our little huddle momentarily before Kim shushed me and pulled me back in.

"Yeah, the only girl, but she's miserable. Hates being one."

"Well I understand. I mean, the boys probably don't take her seriously…" I considered this for a moment, feeling bad for the poor girl. No wonder she looked so angry. If I had to deal with that all the time I would be too.

"No, no, no," Kim reprimanded me in a snappish tone. "You've got it all wrong. They treat her with respect; she's the one that aggravates them. Every time they transition she purposefully thinks shameful thoughts. Bringing everyone's skeletons in the closet out."

"What the Hell are you talking about? You mean they all share one mind?"

"Oops." Kim put a hand over her mouth. Guess she hadn't realized I didn't know that detail.

"Well now you've got to finish," I begged and it was only too easy to persuade her to keep going.

"Not one mind, just their thoughts are linked while they're wolves. So Leah brings up all these nasty thoughts like how Sam dumped her when he imprinted on Emily—" My eyes widened. What? I hadn't heard that story. "—or how no one knows who Embry's father is, but it must have been one of the other boy's fathers because that's how the werewolf gene is passed on. Only, when Embry was conceived everyone in the packs' fathers had been married for a while. So who's the half-bro?"

I was gasping for breath. I'd leaned away from Kim to hold onto the table for support. Embry didn't know who his father was and he had to deal with that fact day in and day out? That his mother was, well… you get the idea.

"I'm sorry Sophie. I didn't know that he didn't tell you." Kim was shaking me, looking frightened. Another wave of nausea rolled over me. He hadn't told me. She was right and he should have. Was it fair that everyone else knew everything about him, but he didn't trust me enough to tell me? He didn't even tell me what it was like being a werewolf. Yet, Kim knew. She knew everything about Jared. It wasn't fair. It was just all too much. I suddenly had a burning to desire to hurt Embry so badly. To cut him as deep as he had cut me. If nothing else, I wanted to do something deceitful. If he wanted to be a liar then let the games begin.


	9. Anger in Werewolf Form

It took me the entire week to figure out what I was going to do; you see though, when the opportunity to be bad arises it just comes to you without having to be coaxed.

Friday came and the pack was still not in school. My frustration had reached a paramount point. If there was ever a time to go back on my plan, whatever that may be, I was past it. If Embry had come home and we had talked I would have put this silly inconsequential thing behind me, but now, well, now it's just been sitting in my mind, festering into my every thought about how much I had no idea who Embry really was. No idea, and not only that, but no idea who he wanted to be or what he wanted to do with his life. I'd told him that I was probably going to travel and then go to college, but what was he doing with his life? That was something I could not tell you because I did not know.

Wood shop was the bane of my existence without Quil there to help me. I couldn't make heads or tails of the supposed birdhouse I was building and was seriously to the point of chucking it across the room when Garret slipped into Quil's empty stool.

"Hello there princess," Garret told me, smoothly removing the disfigured birdhouse from my hands. I glared at him. I was not in the mood.

"My name's Sophie, not _princess_."

"Your name's Sophronia and I know, but you look like one." Garret twirled his finger around a strand of my hair that had escaped the pony tail. "So I heard you and Embry Call are an item."

I nodded stiffly and grabbed a saw to hack apart that stupid wooden monstrosity when Garret simply plucked it out of my hands.

"Well, I _was_ going to invite you to a party tonight with a few people that I know from Forks, but if that's the case then I don't think I want to see you and him together more than I have to. Then again, he is absent today…" Garret knew exactly where to push. He wanted me to take the bait so badly and this was my chance. This was my shining moment. I could go to the party, make a few friends, and then when I come back to school on Monday I won't be totally dependent on the pack. I could have other friends and then Embry would see that Sophie De Lorme is not to be used so cruelly.

I grimaced. This was a bad idea. I could just make friends at school, but I have the pack hanging over my head all the time. It's like they're everywhere in La Push. Everyone knows them and their good deeds. I just needed to breathe for a bit and meet new people, maybe get a little rowdy. I mean, they didn't even drink! Yes, this was it. I needed to get out and Embry wouldn't even be here anyway, Emily said so. That's why she was going to the Makah reservation to watch her nieces tonight.

"So if I did want to come, where would I find this party?" I asked him in a low voice. The wicked smile that was plastered on his face made me sick.

88888888888

"No, Sophie!" Kim whispered to me as she threw her books into her locker. "Jared would kill me!" That was exactly why I did this at the end of the day rather than at lunch. She was about to flip out.

"Come on, it's just one party, one time. I'll tell him it was my fault if we get caught, which we won't," I persisted confidently. I had a good feeling about this. I was nearly giddy with anticipation.

"No," Kim told me straight up and slammed her locker closed. She marched out of the school and I trailed behind her like a sad puppy. It didn't work. She didn't even look back at me. So I tried the art of annoyance.

"Please."

"No."

Please."

"No."

"_Please_."

"Sophie."

"I won't stop."

"I could keep this up all day too," Kim said, rolling her eyes and quickening her pace.

"Fine, but I'm going whether you come or not. Don't tell me you're not curious to go. I know for a fact Jared won't let you go to any parties. He has complete control over you." Kim stopped. Victory was mine. I could smell it practically.

"He does not," Kim whined, whirling around to face me with her hands balled into fists. I pivoted, turning back around before walking in the other direction.

"Be at Emily's at eight," I called over my shoulder. I took one glance at her and her face was fuming.

Kim came alright. Yeah, she came in an outfit I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. It was _hideous_.

"What is that?" I pointed at her and she looked down trying to figure out exactly what I meant. She didn't get it. "Don't move."

I pulled out a pair of jeans that were to big for me. Kim and I were about the same size, but I was just a bit tinier, and then I grabbed a handful of shirts she could pick from.

"I don't want to wear any of these," She cried, grabbing a particularly sequined one from the bunch.

"You're wearing a coat over it," I placated and it took a minute, but finally she decided that maybe my way was the best way to go. Now, our outfits weren't slutty. How could they be, it was almost thirty degrees outside? They were flashy and, though I would never tell Kim, designer.

Finding the place was simple. All we had to do was follow the directions Garret gave me, and they really were crystal clear. There was no way we could miss the house that was situated against the cove of the beach. It was huge, and though I shouldn't have been worried about it, it was in Forks territory. Now, I didn't know much about the pack, but I did know from my brief conversation with Seth that they were not allowed over here. So even if they did find out, they couldn't come get us.

Kim parked the car and we both got out, walking very slowly to the house that was already littered with people. We ducked as a few boys rough housed together on the front porch. I could feel the vibrations from the music pulsating as we stepped into the front door and the first thing I thought was how much it was going to suck for the poor guy that had to clean up. The house was trashed with beer cans, red cups, food wrappers, anything. You name it and it was around us. They had some kind of game going on in the middle of the dining room as everyone crowded around the table to watch. A few couples snuggled together on the couch, a few people were dancing on a makeshift dance floor in the living room, and others were just talking, sitting around on the kitchen counters. I looked to Kim and smiled. This would be fun. She didn't echo my response. She looked green.

"Don't worry. We'll just stay for a little while and then go." I grabbed Kim's hand and brought her to the kitchen to grab a drink.

"Sophie! You made it! I knew you would!" Garret yelled over the base of the music and I took a leaf out of Kim's book. I giggled. Garret handed me a drink and I offered it to Kim. She refused so I took a big swig of what tasted like a fruity drink laced with some kind of alcohol.

Four more of whatever Garret kept giving me and I was ready to break out onto the dance floor. I grabbed Kim's hand and yanked her to the living room.

"Dance with me!" I shouted happily. This was the best night I'd had since I moved to La Push. The music confused me a bit, but I found a steady rhythm as Kim just sort of stood there looking at me weirdly.

"I can't dance!" she yelled back at me and I just shook my head. This would not do. I put my hands on her waist and moved her hips. She was pretty shocked at first, until she went from the I'm-not-so-sure-of-myself-Kim to the I'm-a-dance-master-Kim.

She was so much better than me and I had professional dance lessons. The tempo and beat was like a part of her. She weaved her dance steps into the music until I couldn't tell if she'd made up the dance to the song or the song was made up for her dance. She was amazing. I tried to keep up, but the room was spinning slightly so I held up my finger signaling one minute. She just waved me away and I went outside to grab some air. It was so hot and I'd shed my coat long ago. I saw a girl sitting out on the swing looking a bit put out. I knew the feeling so I plopped down next to her. She took one look at me and laughed.

"To much to drink?" she chuckled and I nodded numbly.

"I'm Sophie," I tell her and lean my head back against the chair.

"Lacey," the girl smiled. "So where are you from?"

"La Push," I muttered and her eyebrows shot up.

"Really, I know a few people there. Do you happen to know Adam? No, what about Mandi? Oh, well I guess she's a bit older than you. What about Leah?" I looked at her when she mentioned that name and her smile got wider. "Leah Clearwater?" she questioned again and I just kept nodding like an idiot. I should have said no, but I was to far gone to care.

Suddenly I heard an obnoxiously high sound and the girl reached into her purse to pull out her ringing cell phone. "Speak of the devil!" Lacey cried into the receiver. I looked at her creasing my eyebrows over my forehead as Lacey looked back at me.

"Hey Leah, do you happen to know someone named Sophie?" She listened for a moment intently and then "Oh, you do? Well, because I'm talking to her right now at Ryan's party. Yeah! It is strange huh? Oh you want to talk to her? Okay, hold on." Somehow Lacey managed to get the phone into my shaking hands and somehow I managed to maneuver it to my ear.

"Hello?" I whispered hoarsely.

"You are _so_ busted," I heard Leah tell me in a lethal voice, and then the line clicked dead. I handed Lacey her phone back before running to the end of the porch and vomiting in the bushes. Leah was _so_ right.

I ran back into the party to see Kim still dancing and I grabbed her hand to pull her out of the house as fast as my drunken legs could carry me.

"What happened?" Kim cried in alarm as she climbed into the car and I hung my head in my hands. I did the only thing I knew to do at that moment. I told the truth.

Kim pulled over to the shoulder of the road when I was done and she cried. I wanted to too, but I couldn't find the tears in me.

"I'm so sorry. This was all my fault. I'll tell Jared it was—"

"No," Kim choked out, wiping her face with the sleeve of her coat. I could see her mascara smearing. "No, I wanted to come. You didn't make me. I wanted to prove a point and these are the consequences," she said before starting the car again. She took a deep breath and began driving on the road again. Well, she was much braver than me, because if I was driving I wouldn't have gone home.

I could see them out on the lawn. All of them, the entire pack, standing and looking at the car. Kim was shaking so badly and I didn't blame her. I wanted to pull over and throw up again. We had gone to a party we weren't supposed to, in Forks where the pack couldn't go, without telling anyone, never planning on telling anyone unless we got caught which we did, and to top it all off I was drunk. This was not going to be good. I knew that Embry knew everything. They all did. Stupid Leah.

Kim pulled the car into the driveway and I could see Jared hauling ass over to the driver's side where she was. I looked over to see her sobbing hard into her hands. Jared tried to open the door, but it was locked.

"Kim, open the door," he commanded, his face livid. He was shaking from head to foot.

"Sophie." It was one word, but it held so much meaning. I winced and looked out my window to see Embry's face right next to my window. I think I had the worst part of the deal because at least Kim knew Jared was angry. Embry's face showed no emotion. It was a hard plane of nothing. I couldn't pick up anything he was feeling.

I met Kim's eyes for a second. She mouthed 'Sorry' to me and then slid open the lock on her side. Jared flung open the door and pulled Kim out. Well, I was not getting out unless forced.

Force is what Embry used. He went to the driver's side and yanked me across the seat dragging me towards the lawn to where everyone could see me. They all cast shameful eyes on me like I'd committed the ultimate crime. Okay, so maybe I did do something incredibly stupid.

I saw Kim crying all over Jared to my right, telling him about how Garret had told us about the party and Embry's jaw tightened. Ah, he must have heard about Garret's thing for me from Quil.

"Why?" That was all Embry said to me as I sagged against the side of the car. He stood at his full height, towering over me with his arms folded across his chest.

My anger and perhaps the alcohol fired me up and took me over an edge I never wanted to go. "What? Don't like it that I have secrets? Don't like that maybe, just maybe other boys would want to go out with me and be _honest_? Doesn't feel so great does it? I'm tired of being your stupid play thing! What, are you ashamed of me? You won't let me meet you're mom, you won't bring me to your house, and you refuse to tell me anything about yourself or being a werewolf! _Who_ are you, Embry? How can I fall in love with you if you keep me in the dark all the time?" I yelled at him until I was hoarse and I had to steady myself against the car for support from lack of oxygen and an excess of alcohol. The pack behind us hissed.

I heard someone ask, "Is she drunk?"

Embry was completely still except for the muscle twitching furiously in his jaw. I met his eyes and they were wilder than I'd ever seen them before. Uh oh.

"What did you want to know Sophie? WHAT? That I'm poor? Is that what you wanted me to tell you? That I've no idea who my father is because he was to busy being a father to one of my friends? Is _that_ what you wanted to know?" Embry roared at me and he shook so violently that I feared for my life. I'd never ever been afraid of Embry before until that moment. It was in that moment that I truly believed he was a monster. He looked like a werewolf. I took a step to the left and stumbled catching onto the mirror of the car so I didn't fall.

"Come on, Sophie. You can handle this can't you? You want to know what it's like to be a werewolf? How I could rip you in half just by closing my mouth? How one false step could send me spiraling into a beast and you'd be dead before I could even think? No more little Sophie. No more rich little Sophie who thinks she has it bad because she has to spend her life in a boarding school," Embry taunted me and I felt the tears streaming down my face.

"Stop, please," I whispered brokenly. I'd had enough. I placed my hand over my mouth to choke down the sob that was threatening to break free.

"That's enough, Embry." Quil came to put a hand on his friends shoulder, but he shook it off.

"I mean, I can't even imagine how _tough_ it must be to have daddy and mommy's credit card always ready. I bet it's just _dreadful_ to have every boy panting after you within a ten mile radius, but you've got plenty money so you can choose who you want right? You like the rich boys don't you? They can give you the life you've always dreamed of. So really, I was the one who was the play thing, right? You're such a spoiled _brat,_" Embry spat and I felt those words splinter and shatter my heart. That wasn't me was it? Was that me? I started bawling.

That did it. Not the yelling, not the screaming, not the thought that I deliberately disobeyed him. No, the thing that finally made him shred his skin and take the form of a roaring beast was my sobbing. The Embry-wolf was huge with dark spots covering his fur. It wasn't like he was pure mass, on the contrary he was rather skinny, just really, really tall. It seemed to resemble the real Embry. He snarled viciously at me, his huge canines looked like little white daggers. I could vaguely hear someone shouting in the back of my mind to run, but I couldn't move. My feet wouldn't let me. The only thing I could do was cry and think that I pretty much deserved this fate. This was my fault. Then suddenly the Embry-wolf's fierce dark eyes sort of blanked out. He blinked once, twice, and then took a hesitant step back before shooting off into the darkness.

I froze and saw a few of the other pack members had already changed into their wolf forms to run after him. No one was really focused on me. So I did the only thing I knew. I ran. I couldn't see where I was going because tears clouded my vision. All I knew is I had to get out of there. Embry's disgusted face was branded in my mind forever. I didn't even think to be frightened of the wolf that almost killed me.

I ran faster and faster, weaving in all directions, drunkenly trying to get out before someone could come and stop me, but that time never came. This thought made me nearly hysterical. I had to stop and hold onto a tree because I couldn't catch my breath.

I was appalled at myself. I asked for this. I'd wanted to hurt Embry and I had. Only, I'd hurt myself as well. I didn't realize just how strongly I was attached to him, but that didn't matter anymore because what we had was over. It had gone up in flames and I had been the pyromaniac who lit the fire. I couldn't stop shaking. I looked around the woods and realized that I was lost again. Just like before, except this time I was hoping a bear would find me to put me out of my misery.

**A/N: Yeah, admit it, you look forward to these author's notes. Don't fight it…lol. Anyway, I know that Embry may seem he's being overprotective because my amazing beta monkeymojo pointed out to me. I figured though that if you're a big ferocious werewolf and your girlfriend is not where she's supposed to be, she went to the party for another guy, and she's drunk so you don't know what she's done. You might be a tad bit angry. I'm sorry, but I have to give props to Caramelboost who unfailingly makes me laugh in her reviews. They are hilarious. As soon as I read the word whoopsies I lost it. I really must remember to use that in a conversation sometime. And if YOU leave me a funny review than you might be mentioned next time.**

"**Yes Mr. Jenning's you have control of the board. Choose a category."**

"**I'll take Sophie's faults for 800 please, Alex."**

"**And the clue is 'Something Sophie will never learn.' Mr. Jennings?"**

"**What is to think before she acts?"**

"**Correct!" Ha, I'm entirely too happy right now. Well this A/N is entirely too long…whoopsies.**


	10. Finding Boundaries

I lay on the ground for what felt like hours. I wanted to throw up, but I don't think I had anything left in me to. A pain twisted in my gut, so I started taking deep breaths to stop the nausea. The forest was cold and full of strange noises, but I welcomed any form of animal that wanted to eat me. Maybe no one wanted a half-drunk, still sobbing teenage girl. What? Was I not good enough for them as well?

Ugh. I was complaining that I wasn't enough to feed the natural wildlife. What was wrong with me? I finally dozed off, only to wake up to find myself comfortably wrapped in a werewolf.

I screamed and flew off of him. Even though I knew it was Embry, I wasn't sure if it was my Embry or if it was the Embry that was currently really pissed at me. I froze as I heard him whine like a bad puppy, but the thing was, he was not a cute little puppy. He was so fucking big. He looked more like a giant horse-dog. The sheer size of him was enough to scare whatever they patrolled in this forest away. No doubt about that.

The Embry-wolf rolled onto his back in submission and slowly, very slowly I walked up to him. I reached my hand out in front of me to pet the soft fur of his stomach. I let out a sigh of relief and looked into the wolf's eyes. It was my Embry. Those eyes were two bottomless pits of emotion. I flung myself at him, hugging him fiercely around the neck.

I sobbed for a good ten minutes as he licked away the tears on my face. I didn't deserve this. "I'm so sorry. C-can you ever forgive me?" I choked out and the Embry-wolf pressed his nose to mine in a sort of weird pact, but I understood it. He would always love me.

I knew I wasn't completely off the hook, but this was a start. "So is this you showing me your werewolf side?" I chuckled wiping the tears and slobber off my face. The Embry-wolf sort of rumbled deep in his chest. I looked him over once more making sure I memorized every single spot on him. Even the one over his eye.

"If you were my dog I would name you Patches." I told him and he jerked his head violently as if sneezing. "What? You don't like Patches?" He growled.

"Too bad. Oh my little Patches is so cute!" I told him in a baby voice and tugged his ear gently. The Embry-wolf rolled out of my grasp before trotting off into the forest. I waited a moment and then out emerged Embry in only cut off sweat pants.

"Patches?" he thundered, rubbing his hair roughly through his hands. I laughed out loud, trying to stifle it by biting my bottom lip.

"Why did you change?" I questioned him when I could finally collect myself enough to ask.

"What, you don't like me like this?" He motioned incredulously down at his bare-chested self which I had noted immediately. I smiled and gave him a wink. "Well, it was getting a bit embarrassing anyway. Everyone _else_ was dying laughing," he muttered more to himself. I don't think I was supposed to hear him, but I did.

"Oh you mean the other pack members? So? Who cares what they think?" Embry looked over at me stunned.

"What did you say?" he gasped out. I admitted the story about Kim telling me and my vengeance plan. All of it. Every single thought that crossed my mind in the process of making the decision to go to the party. At the party, everything.

"Wow," was all Embry had to say as I finished up. "Wow."

"I know." I murmured miserably and Embry put a tentative arm around my shoulders to pull me closer to him.

"So I guess I should tell you mine then. Well, Sam was pretty ticked off at me for that little beach stunt. That day in the car, when you brought up the subject of my parents I avoided it because I'm a coward. No, it's true. I just wanted to be so perfect for you Sophie, because you're perfect. I figured if I didn't admit my faults out loud to you then, I don't know, maybe they could be swept into my past and I could be so much better for you. What you deserve, you know?" Embry stated and I felt so insufferably wretched inside. I was the bad character in this story. Me, Sophie. The one who was supposed to be the damsel in distress. No, I was the wicked witch of the west, not Dorothy.

I groaned and put my head in between my legs so I could breathe and not feel nauseous. "What's the matter?"

"I think I'm going to throw up," I told him honestly. "I'm sick with disgust for myself."

Embry chuckled. "I think it's just the alcohol."

"I think it's just the spoiled brat part that's making me ill." Embry's face closed up at that.

"I'm really sorry. That was totally uncalled for. I shouldn't have called you that," he told me shamefully and I held my hand up to stop him.

"It's just the truth. I've always complained about my life, but I've never looked past myself to see how others suffer. Even more than me," I smacked my hand against my forehead. "I'm so clueless."

At that Embry howled with laughter. "Sophie, you are anything but clueless. You love to learn! That's just one of the things I love about you! You look so cute when you're frustrated that you don't already know something." I looked to Embry with open-mouthed wonder. How in the hell could he know all that. "I love watching you, Sophie. Don't take that in the wrong way, it's just I love watching some of the faces you make. I love when your hair is down and I hate it when other's touch it." Embry chuckled at that. "I feel so possessive over it." I smiled brilliantly at him and moved to sit on his lap.

"Is this okay?" I whispered gently to him when he froze beneath me.

"This is more than okay," he whispered back before kissing me chastely. How could I have ever doubted Embry's love for me? "Is it okay if I tell you something, but you won't get freaked out?" he asked me, pulling his warm lips away from mine. I nodded curiously.

Then he brought his mouth right to my ear, tucking my stray hair behind it. "I love you, Sophie. I've loved you from the moment I met you and I will love you even beyond my death."

I pulled away to stare at him. I knew that he loved me, but to hear him say it, that was something else entirely. I wanted to say the words back. I truly did, but they were bogged down in my mouth. I just couldn't get them right. Embry seemed to understand and he grinned ruefully back at me. "I can wait for you. I can wait forever," he promised me, and the only way I could think to thank him with was with another kiss.

"So how long were you watching me?" I asked him as we walked back to Emily's cottage.

"The whole time. Do you think I would have let anything eat you? Especially after last time." I saw Embry's eyes fly to my shoulder then back to my face to give me a grin.

"But you went off in the other direction."

"I circled around as soon I smelled you enter the woods. The entire pack followed me, even though I told them not to. I _told_ them I was fine," Embry's face looked pinched as he said those last few words. I didn't understand.

"Oh, great, so they all saw me sob my guts out?"

"I made them leave during that part."

"Well, they saw it anyway through you."

"True," Embry agreed with me half-heartedly. I pulled him to a stop.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked him and cocked my hands up to my hips.

"Nothing."

"Embry, we just talked about lying."

He sighed and turned away from my face. "Remember last night when I transitioned? I, well, I very nearly snapped your neck," Embry murmured in a tortured voice. "You should hate me right now."

"Embry, I told you I could never hate you. You aggravate me sometimes, but I'll never hate you. Besides, I had it coming to me. I deserved what I got."

Embry jerked his head back and gave me a weird look. "Sometimes you are the easiest person to read and then other times you just come up with things way out of left field. In what world would going to a party without telling me constitute as a death sentence?"

"A world where I thought I'd lost you."

"Oh Sophie," Embry cried miserably collecting me into a rough hug by picking me up off my feet. I winced as he crushed my stomach making it nearly turn inside out. He must have sensed my discomfort because he put me down and I jerked away from him to start dry heaving. Embry grabbed my hair to pull it back away from my face, but it was pointless because I didn't have anything to throw up.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I don't think I'll be drinking again for a while though," I confirmed, wiping my mouth against the back of my hand. I reached out for a tree to steady myself on and instead found Embry.

"Or ever again," he corrected before scooping me up and carrying me back to Emily's house at a pace I could never have managed.

So, I was grounded as soon as I got there. Not for a long time though. Emily blamed herself mostly, 

saying she was never home and she understood why I was bored. She was a kid once… blah, blah, blah. So I got a month, but Embry was allowed over. So in the end it wasn't really a punishment at all. Oh yeah, besides the fact that she said I needed a job. Supposedly if I had so much time on my hands, then I had enough time to get a job. Oh boy. Note the sarcasm.

School the next week was a bit trickier. Embry had forgiven me, but some members of the pack hadn't. Paul took it as a personal insult that I'd gone to that party and brought Kim. So I was back to square one with him, maybe even a little bit before that. At lunch he ignored me completely. His eyes slid over me as if I wasn't there. Before when he was angry at me, at least he would acknowledging that I was a human being and not air.

Jared was mad too, understandably so, though. I'd made Kim go to that party, even though _she_ didn't really blame me. In fact, I think Kim and I were better friends than before. She had secretly admitted that morning by her locker that she'd had the best time dancing and it was worth it. Quil forgave me because Embry forgave me and he didn't see it as any of his business what went on in our relationship. I personally thought he was brilliant beyond his years, because he was right. And in wood shop that day… my bird house kicked ass.

So the lunch table was basically divided down the middle. Embry, Quil, and I on one side. Jared, Paul, and Kim (She didn't talk to me because Jared told her not to, but she'd already promised me she was my friend. 'Just let Jared have some time to cool off.') on the other. I felt so awful about splitting up the pack. They were a brotherhood. That shouldn't be broken to pieces over me.

Embry could feel me shaking in my seat next to him and he pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around me. My stomach kept twisting and turning in all directions, to the point where I thought I was going to throw up.

Then I did.

I jumped out my seat as Embry was talking to me mid-sentence. I ran straight for the big heavy-duty trash can situated in the middle of the room before puking up my entire breakfast and what little I had for lunch. Embry was right behind me though, holding on to me for dear life as I heaved violently over and over again. He handed me a napkin when I was done and I wiped off my mouth, completely grossed out. That's when I noticed the whole cafeteria was looking at us. Of course they were, right?

"Is she pregnant?" some gutsy freshman yelled out at us and the entire room erupted in whispers. Oh great.

"I'm fine," I whispered hoarsely, but Embry didn't believe me. He sent me straight to the office to go home. I was only sick once more at Emily's house, but that might have been because I didn't eat. I was still ridiculously nauseous. The pain churning in my stomach was unbearable, but I gritted my teeth and tried to pretend to Emily that everything was fine.

Everything was not. I knew I shouldn't have gone to school the next day, but I did anyway. I felt awful, but I tried my hardest to make it through the day promising Embry that it was a 24-hour virus. No such luck. We had barely entered the school from our morning walk there before I was running to the girl's bathroom. Embry right behind me. I heard every girl scream as he followed me into the stall and I heard them all talking none too softly about how the baby was probably due in June or something like that.

I groaned and rolled my head back to rest on Embry's shoulder. He did not look happy.

"A 24-hour thing, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess it's not up yet." I tried to laugh weakly, but he only looked at me with a blank expression.

"You know, if you are pregnant you can tell me. I wouldn't hold it against you if you did anything before we met."

I turned around to face him fully with shock written in every feature. "What do you think I am? Some sort of slut, Embry Call?" I screeched at him. I knew I shouldn't get worked up, because the nausea was going to come back with a vengeance, but I couldn't help it. He truly believed what he was saying.

"No! I'm not—" he began

"I am a virgin. A _virgin_. Christ, I'm only fifteen!" I cut in sharply and immediately his clouded, worry-creased face became relieved.

"Oh."

"Yeah, so I'm guessing it would be physically impossible for me to be pregnant."

"Oh," he repeated again stupidly and then he grabbed me to kiss me fully on the mouth.

"EW! _Embry,_ I just threw up!"

"Oh my God, I don't care if you threw up _I love you_ and I'm SO HAPPY! You don't know how long that question's been bugging me! I was thinking about it all night after what they said in the cafeteria. Quil was so annoyed with me on patrol. He was about to come ask you himself because I was so scared…," Embry trailed off into utter bliss as he wiped his hand across his forehead. I blinked. "Not that it would have mattered or anything!" Embry finished quickly once he saw my blank face.

"You could have just asked me. You can ask me whatever you want remember? Remember the honesty thing we have going on?" I told him with an edge in my voice and he chuckled nervously. "Are you?" I questioned him.

"Am I what?"

"A virgin?"

"Yep," Embry answered smugly and I leaned in to kiss him as well. If he didn't care that my breath reeked of vomit then I didn't care. He must truly love me, because this was just a bit gross. A little unknown weight fell off my chest. A weight I didn't know was there, but suddenly I felt light-hearted. It honestly wouldn't have mattered to me either, because I had dated a few people who weren't virgins, but having Embry be almost as inexperienced as me was nice. We were on equal footing in that department. The funny thing was though, Embry wasn't afraid to tell me he was a virgin… in fact he was down right proud of that fact. It was so… refreshing. "I was waiting for you. Everything is always for you," he told me honestly as his face hovered near mine.

I sighed, then leaned over the toilet to hurl again. How romantic.

We stayed like that for a good ten minutes. Both of us curled up tightly together in the tiny white stall. Embry finally forced a confession out of me. My stomach did in fact hurt.

He picked me up and walked through the halls on a mission.

"Paul!" he shouted wildly, and of course everyone in the entire school stopped to gawk at us.

"What are you doing?" I whispered through clenched teeth as I held on desperately to his large neck. The slow and steady rocking of his long strides made me really queasy. If we didn't get outside soon, the janitors were going to have a fun time cleaning up my throw up. "Outside," I panted a minute later and Embry took one look at my green face before sprinting outside. Funnily enough, that's where we found Paul. He was just clicking his car lock, about to walk into the school, when Embry accosted him.

"I need your car. She's sick," Embry breathed out quickly. Paul wasn't a happy camper, but he complied, only hesitating momentarily. Paul owned a small truck so I ended up sitting on Embry's lap in the passenger seat while he drove us to the hospital.

"If she pukes in my car I'm holding you personally responsible," Paul muttered furiously, glancing from me to the road and then back again.

"Shut up and drive," Embry growled as he pushed every air vent in my direction. I was sweating profusely and being on top of a very toasty werewolf did not help me out, not to mention being driven around like a maniac in an off-road truck was not helpful either. Needless to say, Paul had to pull off the road twice.

We finally arrived at the hospital and by that point my stomach had become my worst enemy. I was rolled into a ball, clutching at my abdomen in pain. The ER nurse swept me off to run tests while Embry called Emily up to tell her to get down to the hospital immediately because she was my guardian.

I rode around in the wheelchair strapped to an IV as the nurse told me everything was going to be fine. They just had to have me give blood, take a pee test, do a sonogram, and wait a little bit until Emily came. It was ridiculous. I didn't know how much longer I could hold out before I started sobbing from pain.

Luck was with me though. Who did I see strolling down the hallway? Why, none other than the handsome Dr. Cullen himself. I knew he was a doctor, but I didn't know he worked here.

"Sophie!" he called to me in greeting, waving the nurse to push me over in his direction. I tried to smile happily back at him, but I think I only managed a grimace because immediately Dr. Cullen's face became smooth and professional.

"What hurts?" He leaned down on his haunches to my height, taking in my pale face.

"Stomach," I grunted and curled both my arms over my abdomen as a shot of pain made me very close to delirious.

"Does it hurt when I do this?" Dr. Cullen pulled my hands away from my stomach and he pushed 

down hard on one side of my lower belly. My squeal of pain gave me away. Dr. Cullen stood up and issued quick orders to the nurse. Something about 'prepping' me for surgery. What? _What?_ _I'm fine, I don't need surgery. Just some antibiotics, right?_ The nurse confided in him that she couldn't because I was under age. So no one would sign off on my surgery and the young boy with me was under age as well. Dr. Cullen claimed he was my family and that he would sign the papers. The nurse relinquished control of my wheel chair to him as she walked away to draw up the papers.

"Surgery?" I squeaked out, but Dr. Cullen didn't answer me. He just rolled me into the waiting room where Embry and Paul sat. Both popped up when they saw me and then sank into a sort of defensive crouch when they saw Dr. Cullen. Okay?

"Hello boys," Dr. Cullen said in his silky, appealing voice. I very nearly shuddered with delight. Then I mentally smacked myself as I saw Embry standing over me, protecting me. "Sophie's going to need an operation. She has something called appendicitis, which basically means her appendix is infected and needs to be taken out immediately."

"Are you doing the surgery?" Embry thundered and I winced sinking low into my chair as his voice echoed around the room. Paul was trembling.

"Yes. If I sign her papers then she will be entrusted in my care," Dr. Cullen said in an unwavering voice, as if a teenage boy hadn't just yelled at him. I was so embarrassed. Why in the world was Embry going to act like a jerk _now_?

"No, absolutely not. We will wait for Emily. You aren't touching her."

"Embry! Stop being an idiot. He's your elder, don't speak to him like that! Just let him operate. I trust him," I scolded Embry. His eyes just popped out at me in anger.

"Trust him? You don't even _know_ him," Embry prattled out like an arrogant asshole. I could not believe what I was hearing. Of course I knew him!

"I don't know him? Please, his son married my cousin. I'd trust him more than a surgeon I didn't know."

"No."

"Embry!"

"Sophie, if you would like me to sign off all you need to do is tell me. This surgery is important. You could die if your appendix bursts and it is left untreated." I looked behind me at Dr. Cullen. His golden eyes were staring back at me completely sincere. How could anyone not trust this man? Well, I might be a little biased because he is amazingly good looking, but I don't think there was one harmful bone in his body. I could have said 'yes' just one little word and I would be carted off, but I couldn't do that to Embry. I needed him to see it my way, even if he was acting like a prat.

"Embry, I could die. It's not that bad. People have this done all the time, right?" I looked back to Dr. Cullen and he nodded.

"She might even be in the recovery room when Emily gets here," Dr. Cullen assured the two boys. Paul was still shaking furiously, but something in Embry's face changed. Maybe he was finally seeing the facts, that waiting for me to die sporadically was much worse than Dr. Cullen operating on me. Honestly, to me there shouldn't even be an argument in that; we know who would have the clear victory, by a landslide.

"ARGH!" Embry clenched his fists and the veins on his forearms stood out, contrasting against his brown skin. He pivoted away and ran both his hands through his hair furiously muttering to himself before he turned back around and very nearly lunged at Dr. Cullen. My mouth dropped as Embry got right in the good doctor's face and said "If she comes out any different than what she is now I will kill you and slaughter your family. Treaties be damned."

"I assure you, she will _live,_" Dr. Cullen said in an icy voice and heavily leaned on the last word as if to make a point. I didn't understand the double meaning, but Embry and Paul must have because they both stood back in resigned positions.

"Fine." Then Embry stepped forward and smooshed my face in between his hands. He stared at me for over a minute trying to drastically memorize every single feature, and then he leaned in and kissed me desperately, as if my very life depended on it.

"I'll be okay," I whispered to him, a little bit worried at this display. I didn't remember anyone dying from this surgery. In fact, I was pretty sure it was a simple procedure.

"You will be," Embry promised me, and then a glint of mischievousness passed through his eyes. He 

rubbed his hands all over my arms, legs, face, and then he nestled his own face against my hair taking deep breathes in and out, all around it. Dr. Cullen quickly carted me away and I took one last look at a forlorn Embry. He was really going over the edge a bit here.

I turned back to look at Dr. Cullen. His face was pinched like he smelled something particularly foul.

"What the Hell was that?" I asked him. Really I was just making conversation. I knew he wouldn't know why my boyfriend had such strange antics.

To my surprise though, he remarked, "He likes to mark his territory."

I stared at him in shock and he flashed me a winning smile that I'm sure most nurses would die for. It didn't distract me. "How do you figure?" I asked him. He couldn't know Embry was a werewolf… could he?

"Just a guess." Hm, maybe my imagination was acting up.


	11. Closet Full of Riddles

I woke up sicker than when I went to sleep. The anesthesia made me violently ill. I leaned over the bed to throw up, but instead of spewing on the floor a bucket appeared in front of my face.

"You're fine." I heard a deep voice tell me, pulling back my hair away from my face. I groaned and tried to grab my right side, but a large hand flew out and caught mine before I could clutch at the painful soreness.

"Sophie, you can't touch your stitches." A patient voice told me and I blinked away the grogginess to focus in on Embry's looming face.

"It hurts." I muttered shakily leaning towards Embry. I needed him. It hurt and I wanted him near me to make it go away. Since when had I become this dependent?

"I know." He whispered sweetly into my hair leaning over to kiss me gently on the forehead. "It'll go away. Try and sleep again." I did whatever he asked me to. I closed my eyes and drifted. It felt like only moments later when I opened my eyes again, but it must have been in the early morning because Embry was sprawled on the small chair in the corner, sleeping, as dawn crept in through the window panes.

I smiled and crept out of the bed very, very,_ very_ slowly grabbing the IV pole to tag along with me as it was still hooked into my arm. My stomach was still ridiculously sore and I tried not to disrupt it too badly. I slipped into Embry's arms and curled up in his warm lap loving the feeling of his soft, firm body.

"Sophie?" He jumped slightly looking down to confirm it really was me. His voice was gravely from sleep, but it still made my head spin. "What are you doing out of bed? Dr. Cullen is going to kill me."

"He'll live for a little while," I told him "or at least I think he will. You never know, you might actually carry out your death threat."

"Aw, come on you know it was a joke!" he chuckled shallowly not meeting my eyes. He did that a lot when he lied.

"Embry, tell me." I sighed pushing his face right in front of mine. I'm sure I looked a mess. Hell, I'd just had surgery, but his eyes almost melted when he saw my face.

"Look, it's complicated. I want to tell you. So badly; you don't know how heavy this is on my chest, but I just _can't_. You understand?" Embry explained, but not really, as he picked me up to put me back in my bed. His foot dragged the IV pole along behind us.

"Is this a 'pack' thing?" If I had enough strength I would have even done the stupid air quotes, but I was exhausted from just getting up. Embry nodded pulling the chair closer to the bed so he could prop his huge feet up on the mattress.

I looked at them and had this urge to just shove them off, but when I over came it I realized that his feet didn't annoy me like I thought they would. It looked right, Embry's feet against the side of my leg, it_ felt_ right. Weird, huh?

"'Pack' thing?" I sighed again rolling my eyes. Embry nodded mutely. "So if you won't tell me about Dr. Cullen then, tell me something else I want to know."

"Shoot."

"What exactly do you patrol in the forest? Is it bears and stuff like that? Because if it is, I mean, why does only _your_ people do that? Why not everyone else? Bears are common enemies to everyone right?" I questioned him further looking up just in time to see him grimace.

"Then how come Kim knows?" I fired at him.

"Complicated, remember?"

"Is it because she's already in the tribe?"

"Sort of…" Embry trailed off not meeting my eye, again. Fine. Be that way.

. He knew I was on to something though because I could see the fear in his eyes. I was so close to stumbling upon the answer, but I was just missing a few pieces. I would get it I vowed to myself.

Embry quickly changed the subject reverting back to the fact that I was once again inside the hospital, worrying him. The good news was that I could be out of here by today and not have to come back as the stitches in the three tiny microscopic holes on my stomach would dissolve.

Getting surgery was just the thing I needed to turn the pack my way again. They'd forgotten about my tiny, _tiny_, mistake over going to that stupid party. The weeks leading to my recovery were some of the best, even rivaling the golden wheel chair days. Embry and I were nearly inseparable. I couldn't bear being any where without him, except the shower and sleep. He was like my other half, that when gone, I missed sorely. He kept me laughing even though Emily scolded him that I would pop my stitches. He never stopped touching me, letting me know that I was special, that I was the one for him, and that he could never get me out his mind. I learned every feature of his face, every laugh line, every wrinkle of the nose, every worry line. I learned every face he made. When he was upset his face turned down in a prominent frown. When he was angry, it blanked out any emotion leaving it wrinkle free and smooth. When he was happy his teeth gleamed against his russet skin making him seem like some kind of Italian prince filled with wonder at the world. Only I was his world. He loved me.

At school nothing had changed. I was still the freak that had rumors flying around about her. Some even went as far as to declare my surgery was really just an abortion cover-up. Needless to say this infuriated Embry and he had extraordinary hearing. The pack rose to my defense, but it didn't help a lot no matter what. I was still an intruder to the tribe, just behind enemy lines.

P.E still made me miserable. That was never going to change.

I couldn't stand it even more because I'd sat out for so long. First with my shoulder and foot healing, now my surgery. Initially in the beginning, I just sat around and watched Embry play whatever the game of the day was. That was fun. If you ever want to pant after your boyfriend just watch him do about a million pull-ups during Gym. _Oh. Yeah._

Then, my doctor's note wore off and I was required to participate again. The first day I pulled the 'I-have-cramps' excuse. The coach bought it. Embry, however, did not. He marched up to my section of the bleachers, once he asked the teacher why I wasn't playing, his face conveying a serious frown. For some reason he really wanted me to participate in this class. I have no idea why because I was so goofy and awkward, but whatever I still wasn't doing it.

"You are a liar." He pointed dead at me.

I pretended to be offended. "And how do _you_ know I'm lying?"

"Do you really want to know?" Embry asked me truthfully, blushing just a tiny bit. At least he wasn't completely grossed out by the subject like some boys were.

"Not really." I confessed and shifted uncomfortably in my seat as he put his large hand over the back of his neck. I seriously sat there the entire class trying to think of one 

possible way Embry could know I was lying. Mid-way through I realized I had to think outside the box, because he was a werewolf. That's when I got it. Heightened senses.

Wow, if he could tell that I was lying about that tiny little white lie, what else wasn't he telling me? What else could he figure out by being super-human? It frightened me momentarily that he had that power over me, but then Embry joined me for lunch and I realized something. He would never do that to me. Ever. He would never hold something over my head. It was the most insight I'd seen into the werewolf world thus far. Now I just had to find out what it is exactly that made_ him_ a werewolf.

Emily dutifully reminded me that I had to get a job so one day when I was walking back from school a sign caught my eye. The local vet needed help after hours, walking the animals, feeding the animals, bathing the animals. It sounded tedious, but the veterinarian seemed confident enough in me and hired me on the spot. I didn't even have to apply. I was so elated! I, Sophie, got a job! Never in all my life did I think that I would apply for a job, let alone get one. It knocked the wind out of me momentarily.

I started there weekly, leaving less time for Embry and I, but I still saw him at school and on weekends so that was fine and he still had his duties to the pack. It worked out nice. Instead of only falling in love with a werewolf, I also started falling in love with each and every animal in the clinic. I was so sad when their time came to leave, but each took a special part of me with them when they did.

I cared for these animals as if they were my own children. Each had a different personality with specific wants and needs. I loved to see them grow and learn. How it took time for me to earn their trust. It was amazing. I hadn't even known I liked animals to begin with.

Two weeks into my job, I was just finishing up bathing a new set of kittens someone found, when Embry walked through the door of the vet.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too, dear." Embry chuckled. I stuck my tongue out at him childishly. "So I was thinking that maybe today, we could, er, go to my house." I dropped the squirming kitten in my hand to turn to look at a bashful Embry.

"Ok." I tried to not make a big deal out of this, but I couldn't help shaking a little. He was finally opening up to me! Finally!

The short walk there was quiet and I reached out to hold Embry's hand. He responded by smiling slightly at me and picking up the pace. His small house was just off a side road that I'd never think was a road ever, but it was.

His house was light blue and stood far back with a huge front yard. Embry pulled me up the driveway just as a youthful woman stepped out of the house scurrying to put her coat on in the light drizzle.

"Oh Embry! I was just looking for you. I'm going to work; dinner's on the stove-Oh who's this?" The woman stopped, her long dark hair swinging below her shoulders. Her mouth formed a perfect pout pulling off the prettiest looking confused face I've ever seen on a person. She was absolutely stunning. You could see where Embry got most of his looks, but honestly she was so young! I could have mistaken her for Embry's older sister if I hadn't spotted the newly forming stress lines around her eyes.

"Mom, this is Sophie. Remember I told you about her?"

"Oh so you're _Sophie_. THE Sophie right?" Embry's mom laughed sweetly scanning me with her long-lashed eyes. So I've been talked about.

"_Mom_." Embry muttered through clenched teeth. Aw, he was embarrassed.

"You didn't tell me she was _gorgeous_!" Embry's mom gushed going straight for my golden hair. I was used to it by this point. It was pretty much the first place on me every set of eyes went to around here.

"MOM!" Embry thundered smacking his hand over his eyes. I just giggled shyly.

"It's nice to meet you Ms. Call" I smiled the best smile I could manage. Embry's mom was delighted and waved to us saying that Embry had homework to do so we shouldn't stay at the house for long. Translation: Don't stay in there for to long with your girlfriend while I'm out.

"Don't worry; we'll be in and out." Embry assured her as she started the car.

"She was nice."

"That was awful!" Embry moaned tugging me towards a short hallway immediately to the right of the front door. "She's so embarrassing!"

"Why, because she told me you loved me and talked about me all the time? I already know that, so what's embarrassing?" I asked confused as Embry opened a door to the left. He stopped, stooped low in the doorway as he was too tall, to look at me pointedly. "It's still embarrassing to hear it coming from her mouth."

"She's beautiful, you know. You look like her a lot." I told him leaning into his chest. I stared up at his face trying to pinpoint the exact resemblance he shared with her, but I could only come up with the eyes. Those long-lashed not quite black, but still brown eyes. Don't get me wrong, he and his mom were very similar. I just couldn't exactly tell you why.

"Are you saying, I'm beautiful?" Embry batted his eyelashes in over-exaggeration.

"What are you going to do if I say 'yes'?"

"Probably kiss you."

"Yes." Embry was already leaning into my lips as the word left my mouth. I wanted to pull him closer and devour him on the spot, but he didn't have that in the plans.

Embry pulled me inside to see what I figured to be his room. It was a typical boy's room. The walls were covered in posters of some bands he liked. I surveyed them and concluded we did _not_ like the same music in the least bit. He liked metal bands and rock. I liked Broadway songs, operas, and regular girl music. There was a desk with a computer on it, the floor was littered with a bunch of crap, and a TV was stationed on top a dresser that was messily crammed with clothes. His bed was just a mattress really that was shoved into the corner with a bunch of torn sheets scattered around on it.

"This is roomy." I told him smiling slightly at the utter mess.

"I suppose." Embry agreed before falling back onto the mattress with his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and sighed, like a weight had been lifted off his chest. It probably had, he could finally share his life with me now.

I walked around the room once more looking at everything. When my eyes found a beat up guitar I nearly laughed aloud. Embry? A musician?

"You play?" I picked up the old wooden guitar and eyed him with curiosity. That was a personality quirk I hadn't expected.

"Yeah, Quil, Jake, and I were going to start a band, but they never learned to play any instruments." Embry chuckled at some past memory he was no doubt recalling. "We all got hooked on car and motorcycle parts instead."

"But _you_ can play?" I asked him once again, clarifying my question. I took in the full length of his body on the mattress as he shook his head with his eyes closed to agree with me. Embry was truly an amazing person. It was like he pulled spectacular things about him out of no where. How could I compete with him? I was some silly girl who could barely cook, barely clean, barely do anything that a normal person should know how to do. Why did he pick me? It was the most prominent question in my head, but I couldn't voice it. I laid the guitar back in its resting place.

I turned to his closet opening the door just a crack making it look like I was interested when something caught my eye. I opened the door wider to see posters upon posters of nearly naked girls. My mouth dropped as I ran my hand over the beautiful models. They were all so faultless and lovely. Their bodies were toned and curvy in all the right places. Perfect was the only word to describe them, much like Embry's body. I tried to remember the defined lines of hard muscles on his abdomen and arms. Then I looked down at myself. I was much to skinny to even think about becoming one of Embry's fantasy girls. I found my hand running over my flat stomach, a much too flat stomach. I puffed out my chest as much as I could, but it wasn't worth it. No matter how much air I collected in my lungs I would never be busty. I gave the posters a parting glance before shutting the closet door quietly and turning around.

Right into Embry.

His face was so horrified and upset it made me nearly want to cry.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have been snoop-" Embry cut me off by pulling me into a fierce embrace. He threw me on the bed and ravaged me, kissing every inch of my body from head to toe. "Well, if had known those pictures turned you on like this…" I giggled throwing my arms around his neck to nuzzle my face into his wonderful fruity scented hair. He froze, his lips against my scarred shoulder (he was giving that part special attention). He broke free from my limp restraints to stomp towards the closet. He threw open the door, shaking violently, before tearing down the posters on the wall in a frenzy.

"Embry!" I shouted jumping off the bed to try and stop him. I pulled at one of his arms, but he shook me off, ripping the posters into little bits. I caught a glimpse of his face; it was muted in unmistakable fury.

When he was done trashing his closet he turned to me silently. "Don't you ever, _ever_ think they are better than you again. Those girls do nothing to me. I feel nothing for them. You are the most beautiful woman in the world. Only _you_ can make me think things that I shouldn't be. Not them, Sophie. Never them. They were just some stupid thing Quil, Jake, and I use to collect when we were kids. We kept them here because my mom doesn't come in my room. Please, please believe me when I tell you that I love you." Embry gasped out. He was truly somber. I hadn't really thought that much of it other than Embry being a guy, but he was seriously disgusted with himself. Maybe he didn't want to be thought of as some stupid, one-minded idiot.

"Ok." I whispered as he reached for my hands.

"Let's go before I have to find something else to be aggravated at myself with." He muttered grabbing me and pulling me out the door.

That was sort of a set back. I wasn't sure how to get Embry out of this low point. I tried making him laugh, kissing him, and I even asked Quil to talk to him, but Embry was still pretty upset with himself a few days later. Quil told me that he truly believed one day 

he was going to lose me, if things kept progressing the way they were. The way he kept messing up. I pondered over this thought for a good while until I settled on a conclusion.

The next afternoon as the pack held a meeting at Emily's house I brought home with me, a surprise.

"Embry!" I cried stepping into the room. Everyone swiveled their head in unison as I pulled from behind my back a tiny kitten. I'd rescued him from the litter that had just arrived. The little grey tabby meowed at everyone in greeting. They all flinched back.

"What the hell is that?" Paul roared, spit flying from his mouth.

"It's a kitten!" I protested pulling it protectively in my arms, walking over to where Embry was seated on the floor. I plopped into his lap and offered the kitten to him. He grimaced and took it, _very _hesitantly.

"It's…cute." Embry scrambled trying to find the right words.

"He's ours."

"What?!" Embry yelped

"I don't understand? What's so wrong with a defenseless kitten?"

"I'm a were_wolf_, Sophie."

"Oops." So maybe I didn't think this through all the way. I took the poor kitten back in my arms. I looked into his innocent face and I resigned myself to the fact that I'd have to give him back.

"I just wanted us to be like a little family." I muttered. It was the truth. I wanted to show him how much I truly believed we could make our relationship last.

"Well…if you want him. Then he's ours." Embry murmured gently and the entire pack grumbled in discomfort.

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Oh! Thank you! Sew won't let you down!" I squeaked happily.

"Wait a minute. You named that cat Sew." Seth said stating the obvious. "Why?"

I looked at him dumbfounded for a moment. "What, don't you get it? I have Sew" I held up the scared kitten in my hands. "and then I have Patches." I pet Embry on the head. The whole pack started busting out laughing. That's when Embry finally cracked a smile.

**A/N: I've actually had my appendix out and Sophie has recovered a bit earlier than most patients, but hey, she's a fast healer. Hope you liked this chapter!**


	12. An Avalanche of Questions

The riddle was driving me crazy. I couldn't figure it out for the life of me. Where exactly did the werewolves come from? Why the Hell did they exist? I felt like that question was linked with my next question. Just what exactly were they patrolling La Push for? Whatever the answers were, I knew I wasn't going to get them from Embry. He was dead set against me knowing for whatever reason. I pondered over it during my spare time. What exactly did I know? Well, I knew Embry and the pack hated… the Cullens? Well, he hated Carlisle, but was the feeling mutual? The pieces started falling into place. Then—_Click._ I remembered Seth saying he was the only one who was allowed on 'Cullen turf'. What was this, a property war? It was so confusing; werewolves pitted against humans? It was hardly a fair match. Plus, there were only seven Cullens, whereas the pack had ten. Wait a minute, wait a minute, there were now _eight_ Cullens! _Bella_.

That was it, she was the link. She was why Embry was so wary to tell me. It had nothing to do with me not being related to the tribe and everything to do with whom I _was_ related to. Then, she must know the secret! She could tell me. I immediately pulled my phone out in the darkness of my room. I waited for her to pick up, but only caught her voicemail.

"Hey, it's Bella. Leave me a message and I'll see if I can get around to it." Beep.

"Hey Bella, it's me, Sophie. Um, if you could give me a call back when you get this I'd really appreciate it. I have a few questions for you. Thanks, bye."

The weeks dragged on and before I knew it Christmas Break was upon us. I tried to find out if I was supposed to come home and spend the holidays with my family, but no one really made plans, like always. I shouldn't have expected anything more from my mom and dad. They were always busy, or working, or vacationing, or doing anything that didn't involve me. Chella and Anthony, my best friends, had come home from France just for the holidays, but they said they had to see their families, which they hadn't in months. So I understood that, but it still felt wrong that I would be with the pack.

I felt like I was intruding on them because they didn't just have the pack, they had their own separate families as well. Emily invited me to go with her, Sam, and Sam's mother to the Makah reservation, but I refused. My place wasn't there. It wasn't anywhere.

Embry, of course, was in the holiday spirit. In fact, he was probably where the term 'jolly' was coined. He couldn't stop smiling the entire last week of school. I was informed that Christmas was _his_ holiday. Ha, yeah I know.

Besides the break festering into everyone's minds, there was one other thing that kept everyone on their toes. The winter formal that was being held in the beginning of February. The entire school had gone into a flurry as people worried who was asking who. I heard from a girl in my French class that Chad, a fairly popular senior, asked a freshman to go with him instead of a fellow senior girl who everyone thought he would ask. It was a scandal. I was so glad I didn't have to run around the school like a chicken with my head cut off worrying about who would ask me. There was no question who I was going with. Everyone knew Embry and I were going out. Or at least I _thought_ they knew.

P.E. class that day was relaxing. It was one of those rare days where the teacher gave us the day off to do whatever we want. Most of the class just hung out on the bleachers. Quil, Embry, and I sat sporadically in a circle facing each other.

"So, we're having Christmas lunch at Emily's," Embry informed us and I looked to him in surprise.

"No, Emily's going to her mother's house."

"Change of plans. She's going to see her mom on Christmas Eve now," Embry corrected me.

"Oh." I supposed she did that just for me. How could I ever repay Emily for her kindness? I probably couldn't. It seemed like everything was going to work out after all.

"Don't worry Sophie; you are going to love the gift Embry got you," I heard Quil say, winking in my direction as Embry scowled. Crap. I didn't get Embry a gift. I didn't get _anyone_ a gift. Shit, and usually I was so on top of things like that.

Embry must have seen my face drain of color because he hugged me tightly and said he wasn't expecting a gift.

"Don't be ridiculous! Of course you're getting a gift!" I pulled away, raising my eyebrows in defiance.

"I forbid you to get me one."

"Too bad. It's already done," I told him, lying through my teeth, but he seemed to swallow my tiny 

fib. Okay, so now I had some serious shopping to do. I knew immediately that I wanted to get Embry something amazing and big. To show how much I really appreciated him, you know? But I knew he would never take something like that. I fixed that quickly. "Here's the thing though, you have to promise to take whatever I give you."

"I'll do it with a smile. Why would you think I wouldn't like anything you gave me?" Embry asked me in confusion.

"Just promise."

"I promise," Embry held up his hand in a solemn oath. I gave him a wicked smile before excusing myself to the bathroom. When I came back the first thing I noticed was that someone had taken my spot. The girl that had greeted Embry my first day at school was flipping her hair, chatting with Quil and Embry while her little lackey hung behind her.

"So, do you have a date for the Winter Formal?" she leered towards Embry and he shifted uncomfortably away from her.

"Not exactly, but it's just because I haven't asked her yet," Embry told her, blushing slightly and looking away, towards me. I smiled and walked up to him to seat myself right next to him. I grabbed his face and pulled his warm lips to mine.

"Hello, love," I told him once I pulled away breathlessly.

"Would you go the Winter Formal with me?" he chuckled, and I swear I heard that stupid girl gasp.

"Of course," I answered him brightly. The girl turned her attention to Quil.

"Don't even try," he told her, holding up his hands. She huffed away.

888888888

"That is madness," Kim told me in awe when I explained just exactly what I wanted to get Embry. Her brown eyes literally bugged out of her head when I had told her.

"You think he'll like it?"

"Of course he's going to like it! He's a guy," Kim rolled her eyes at me. "But do you really want to do this?"

"I'm sure," I nodded and pulled out my cell phone to make a call.

I dialed my mother.

It wasn't hard to explain to her about Embry. I'd already told her about my minor mishaps in the hospital. I had to because, well, she got the bill, but I told them in ways that were less horrific than telling her I got mauled by a bear. I'm almost positive I told her I fell down a tree, but it didn't really matter how I'd attained my injuries. All that mattered was how I'd mentioned that Embry had saved my life, more than once. My mom was like me. Hung up on the high of extravagant gift giving, and saving my life constitutes for a superfluous gift. She was hesitant at first, but once I explained just how much she saved on me not going to boarding school and staying in high priced dorms that year she agreed, but on the condition that this was her gift to me as well. Fine, I could live with that. I didn't really want anything for Christmas anyway. I got gifts year-round. She promised to make all the arrangements.

Christmas arrived much too early for my liking and I worried constantly if everything was going to go right. Then, just as I thought I was totally fucked and my mom had probably forgotten about her promise, I saw it. I flew out the kitchen dropping the potato I was peeling in the sink to run out and greet the delivery man.

"I can't believe this," Emily murmured with her hands over her mouth, staring at the present, now situated in the backyard beneath the trees. I wanted to hide it so none of the boys could see it and tell Embry.

"Isn't it great?" I trembled in excitement. This was the best gift I'd ever given anyone, and the most expensive, but Embry was so worth it.

"_Sophie_, you got him a—" Emily was cut off as the doorbell sounded to signal the arrival of our guests. I slapped a big red bow on the present and scurried after Emily, back into the house. "Set the table, Sophie. Oh and close the blinds, they might look out the window and see it," Emily directed grabbing dishes out the oven. I did as she asked and then ran to answer the door.

Breathlessly, I opened it to see Paul, Kim, and Jared behind it. "Merry Christmas!" I shouted vibrantly and ran to hug Kim. So the day began.

It was wishful thinking trying to get every freaking werewolf seated at the kitchen table, so some of the boys sprawled around in the living room. It was the best Christmas I'd ever had. Embry insisted I sit on 

his lap the entire time, as he gave me soft kisses. Brady and Collin were making gagging noises over the announcer on TV.

"Knock it off," Paul growled, throwing a pillow at the two as Seth chuckled right beside him. Everyone was sort of paired off. Quil had even brought Claire over from the Makah reservation to spend the day. He sat on the floor and played airplane with the little toddler, his face was just glowing with happiness. Jared and Kim cuddled on one corner of the couch, snuggled together like two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly. Emily and Sam were in the kitchen, he was helping her clean up the mess that everyone had made. Leah hadn't come.

"Do you want your present?" I asked Embry. I'd been nearly jumping out of my seat the entire time. I literally tried to force feed his food to him faster, just so I could give him his gift. Yes, it was that great.

"I think you'll explode if I don't say 'yes'," Embry chuckled, gently lifting me up off his lap. I very nearly skipped to the back door, pausing so Embry could keep up.

"Um, what are we doing?" he asked me once he appeared in the kitchen.

"It's outside," I told him, happily scooping up Sew to bring him along. He'd gotten so big in the last few weeks. Embry wasn't happy about that one. He kept asking when he was going to stop growing. I didn't understand why he was so scared. Was he afraid the cat was going to over take him? The big, bad werewolf was frightened.

"Oh, I've got to see this," Emily laughed, Kim nodded with her. They both knew what I'd gotten him.

"What the Hell could it be?" Embry cried as all the girls crowded around the door.

"Close your eyes!" I ordered and he obliged. I took both his hands and led him to the edge of the lawn, waving my hand in front of his face to make sure he really wasn't peeking. He didn't flinch.

"Holy shit!" I heard Jared moan as he stepped out of the back door some feet behind us.

"Shh!" Kim quieted him and I dropped Embry's hands at that moment.

"Okay, you can look."

I wish I had a camera. He gave one of those faces that displayed thousands of different emotions. The most prominent one was shock. "Do you like it?" I asked him hesitantly.

"SOPHIE!" he screeched, ramming his palms into his eye sockets to rub them just to make sure he was seeing exactly what was really there. "You got me a _truck_?"

"Not just any truck. An avalanche," I corrected running my hand over the sleek black paint job.

"No, I cannot accept this. No way!" Embry cried, stepping away from the car.

"Hell, I'll take it!" Seth yelled from behind us as the rest of the pack gaped at his present too. I smiled; I'd totally predicted this was going to happen.

"You promised you'd take anything I gave you," I persisted and Embry just shook his head with pursed lips. Oh crap, he was mad. "Just get in and see if you like it at least."

"It's not a question of whether I like it. Of course I like it, I love it! It's just too much. I can't let you give this to me," Embry stated, doing wild hand gestures just to prove his point. I grabbed one hand in mid-air and dragged him into the cab of the truck. I climbed over the console to sit in the passenger seat while he sat on the driver's side. His hands went up to grip the shiny new steering wheel tightly. He sighed and dragged his eyes away from the high-tech looking dashboard to look towards me.

"No," he told me simply.

I rolled my eyes. "You already promised. Are you going back on your word?"

"How about we compromise."

"That depends on what you ask for."

"I say we share this car. It's not just mine," he explained, but I shook my head.

"No, the car is going in your name," I told him firmly and he sighed, completely frustrated. This present was not going well. I extracted that promise from him earlier to purposely avoid this calamity.

"Okay, how about this," Embry turned suddenly to me and his face lit up with excitement. "We share the car _and _I give you driving lessons. It's a fair trade."

I thought about that for a second. I could so play this little arrangement to my advantage. "Fine, but one more stipulation."

"What's that?" he asked me warily.

"We get to make out in the backseat whenever I want," I grinned mischievously at him, biting my lower lip to stop the laugh that was about to spill out my mouth as his face contorted in happiness.

"DEAL!"

888888888

"You can't go that way."

"Why not?"

"That's a one way, Sophie. See the sign?" his long finger pointed to a broken one-way sign that I would have never seen because it was half covered by the shrubbery growing around it.

"Yeah, I see it _now_."

"Go slower, it's 35 not 50," Embry told me in a monotone sort of voice. The poor kid was probably so bored. I wouldn't imagine it's fun having to teach your girlfriend the rules of the road. Not that he should be complaining because we'd already stopped for a hot and heavy make out session twice in our other lessons. With Embry though, he always brought our physical relationship to a stop when it hit the point of going a little too far. I understood that he was trying to be a gentleman, and I wasn't making it easy for him, but what was the point? We're soul mates. Who cares what we do now; we are destined for each other, right? Isn't that how it works? I decided to spice up the trip a little.

"So, Embry, huh? Why the name Embry?" That said person looked towards me with raised eyebrows, his face was blank.

"Why Sophronia?" he countered and I had to laugh out loud. That was good.

"My French father wanted to strike a transaction with a Greek shipping dealer. To please him he named me after the man's mother. The contract was signed the next day. My dad refers to me fondly as his 'deal sealer'." I shook my head slowly at the story, still smiling slightly at just how ridiculous it was. It didn't get any more ridiculous than that, I was positive.

Embry was quiet for a long moment absorbing my short story. "I was named after a soap star." I looked over to him in amazement. I was wrong. That was ridiculous.

"Watch the road."

"Wow," I said turning back to face the front and stop at a stop sign. "You win."

"I'm not so sure about that, deal sealer." I chuckled at his comment, but he didn't sound very amused. In fact, he was in a downright bad mood. I had no idea why. Must have been my remarkable driving skills.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Blue." I noted he didn't ask me mine. That was okay, I understood. Everyone has those kinds of days.

"Mine's silver. What's your favorite animal?"

He gave me this _look_. "A wolf." Oh, that's why.

"Hm, I like leopards." This wasn't lifting his spirits. In fact, if he could I think he would have liked to remain silent on this ride. That wasn't happening. "What's it like growing up in La Push?"

"Nothing special. All we have is school, friends, and now the pack."

"That was an inspiring insight into your life Embry. Thank you for sharing with me," I told him sarcastically.

He shrugged. "You're welcome."

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" I asked him, feeling a bit childish at the silly question.

"I don't know, Sophie. Why?"

"Well, I just wanted to know. I mean, maybe you could be a singer. Isn't that what you want? Don't you like playing your guitar?"

Embry looked at me with heavily lidded eyes. "The tribe comes first. It doesn't matter what I want."

I couldn't believe what he was telling me. What was wrong with him? This wasn't the Embry I knew. I felt like I had missed something crucial in the last week. "What are you talking about Embry? People can't dictate who you become. You can be anything you want! Don't you want to travel and see the world? Don't you want to be something way out of left field and surprise every one, like a Nobel Peace prize winner or something like that? Think about it, it would be so amazing if we could-"

"Not _we_, Sophie, you! I'm not going anywhere, or have you forgotten I'm a werewolf? I'm stuck here," Embry told me fiercely, gripping the hand rail on the door tightly. He wouldn't meet my eye, in fact every word that spilled out of my mouth seemed took make his mood fouler. I pulled over into a vacant lot, aggravated at where this was going.

Embry got out of the car, slammed the door, and went to take a walk a short distance from the car. I 

stared out of the window for a moment, trying and failing to understand what exactly was wrong with him. He was so good at reading my moods and needs, but when it came time for me to be the one to help him I was lost. I didn't know what to do.

I got out of the vehicle slowly, trying to jumble together a speech in my head to tell him. Trying to think of words to soothe whatever his troubles were.

"I feel like I'm losing my mind," he said miserably as soon as he saw me coming around the bend of the truck. His eyes shone with desolation as his breath came out in short little spurts. I didn't understand. My face must have given me away because he continued on. "I can't think for myself. I feel like I'm constantly under orders. Do this, do that, be here, always be alert. I can't do this anymore, Sophie! I'm tired, I'm not doing well in school because I get no sleep, my mom got my report card and she's threatening to take away my time with you if I don't start getting everything together. I—" he stopped mid-rant to place his hand over his eyes.

I felt my eyes swell with tears at how vulnerable he looked. I ran to him, jumping into his arms, smothering his worried face with kisses. He buried his hands in my hair running his fingers through it.

"You could have asked for help. I'm always here for you, Em," I sighed into his ear and he flashed me a quick smile.

"I am asking."

"I meant earlier. You know I'll help you with your homework. You work too hard." I picked his head up so his eyes would meet mine.

"Are you sure? You have work and stuff like that."

I grabbed Embry's hand and pulled him to the bed of the truck, pulling down the lip so we could sit on it.

"You are always _my_ first priority," I reminded him gently and he winced at my words.

"You know you're mine. It's just the tribe will always have my body, I can't help that, but you have my heart. That's the only thing I can give you, Sophronia. You know I would do anything you asked me to." I was so touched by his words I didn't even grimace when he called me by my full name. I did, however, take note of how the pack would be first. I didn't like it all, but I didn't think now was the time to bring it up. I was too much into the moment. I pounced on Embry, sending him flying back, hitting his head on the floor of the bed with force. I felt bad, but I didn't have time to contemplate that. I was more concerned with fixing Embry. Even though I was sure I broke his skull, but I meant fixing the cracks that were rising up in his attempt to seem perfect for me. I kissed him passionately. I wanted to bring out everything he made me feel. How he could send every nerve cell within me on fire. How his touch made me shiver violently. How one look from him sent a wave of lust over me. How I wanted to desperately love him, more than anything in the world, but every time I plucked up the courage the muscles in my mouth failed me. I couldn't tell him, but I could show him.

I pulled the buttons of his shirt out of their holes one by one before slowly dragging the shirt apart so I could stare at his chest. I was allowed this one thing, but I decided to tempt fate. My hand circled lower, but Embry was way ahead of me. He pulled me off of him, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

"No," he whispered softly in my ear.

"Why not?" I whined like a petulant child.

"Because I love you," he looked at me and cocked his head to the side. He always waited a moment after he said this for me to maybe change my mind. For me to maybe decide that I could tell him I loved him. It never happened. "That's why," he finished after we looked at each other for a full minute.

I crossed my arms with annoyance and looked away. "That's not a good reason. Fine, maybe we shouldn't do _that_." He wasn't as embarrassed as I was about this thought. His tan face remained almost impassive. Only an eyebrow shot up, which I thought made him look downright adorable and it certainly didn't help the blush that crossed my cheeks. It had crossed my mind a few times, being with Embry; there was no question we would be together like that, I just had a hard time wrapping my head around well, er, actually doing it. I would never, ever, ever tell him this, but I was sort of frightened. See, I had to act like it wasn't a big deal because if he ever caught wind of the fact that I was frightened out of my mind, well, I would be a virgin until I died. "We could still… do other things," I lowered my voice and looked out of the corner of my eye to gauge his reaction. It was thoughtful. Oh, I'd have him one way or another. I just needed to get around his defenses.

**A/N: Sorry it's taken a while to update. I've been busy and on vacation. Things are becoming crazy. This isn't my favorite chapter, but tell me what YOU think. Oh and I hope everyone enjoys **_**breaking dawn**_** because this will probably be my last update before it comes out!!**


	13. A Movie Not Far Off

Bella never called me back. I waited endlessly. I'd graduated from the Academy of Embry's driving lessons with flying colors. I have to admit though the teacher was a little biased.

When school started up again I diligently helped Embry with his homework like I promised. It wasn't that he was dumb, it's just he needed someone to explain things to him. Now, I wasn't in his grade, but I could read the material and then teach it back to him. That wasn't really the big problem though; most of his grades were slipping because he never did his homework. So after work we both sat down and did our homework together. It was sweet and things were going great. People even stopped to tell me what an awesome truck I bought Embry. That's always an omen, isn't it though? When things are going_ too_ well something's bound to go wrong.

I didn't think about that though. I was so focused on my new life in La Push that I never had time to contemplate how different everything was. Physically I was stronger than I'd ever been in my life. I could now keep up, well barely, with the P.E. class. Even Embry was astounded at my progress. Mentally I was different because for once in my life I didn't hang onto every word that the 'in' crowd said at school. I didn't need every issue of _Vogue_ anymore and I certainly didn't care much for my appearance now that I had Embry. He loved me irregardless if my hair was frizzing out in the rain or tamed into lushes waves. He didn't care if I dressed up or wore sweat pants because no matter what he saw me in his eyes melted. It was a feeling I couldn't live without, knowing that I was unconditionally loved. It was something I'd never experienced before with anyone. Until him.

To actually be in love with someone was something you couldn't calculate with any scientific measurements. Embry and I's conversations consisted of everything and nothing all at once. Embry laughed easily and smiled even easier. I found it beyond irresistible the way his shy demeanor crossed over into being goofy once he felt comfortable in a situation. It was a feat only he could accomplish. Everyday was exciting. I learned something different about him that I didn't know before, like how he loved the ocean, how he thought Chinese food was ok, not wonderful, how he didn't like reading books, and how he hated my music I played in our truck.

Compromising on what we listened to during our rides together was painful.

_"_…_Yes, I've been brokenhearted. Blue since the day we parted. Why, why did I_ _ever let you go?_ _Mamma mia, now I really know, my my, I could never let you go."_

"Make it stop!" Embry howled slamming the power button on the stereo so the song instantly died and I was still singing along with the song. He left me hanging onto the last word like an idiot.

"No! You're driving so I get the radio." I hit the button again and the song instantly started. I picked up the beat and got back into it singing and snapping my fingers. Then once again Embry turned it off. I stopped and turned to glare at him.

"Sophie, I'm sorry, but it sounds like she's on helium, crack, and her death bed all at the same time." Embry said in a serious tone with wide eyes like he couldn't believe that someone had recorded that album.  
"Well," I said keeping my voice level and calm. "what would you like to listen to then?" Embry opened his mouth, but I beat him to the punch. "Other than that god-awful screaming _crap_ that you call music." He shut his mouth soundly. I couldn't stand whenever Embry brought a CD to play in the car. His 'music', yeah I use that term loosely, was heavy bass with a lot of jumbled up lyrics every now and then, but it was nearly impossible to understand the words because the bands yelled everything at the top of their lungs. I can tell you right now that it wasn't music. Music is art. Not a screaming contest on who can yell the loudest into a microphone.

"Look just put on the radio." He placated. Well, if he thought that was going to make our argument any better he was dead wrong. All we did was flip through stations, disagreeing on every damn song. I was so frustrated I shut off the stupid stereo and folded my arms to look out the window.

I heard him sigh in aggravation. "Just put your CD in Sophie. I'll have to get use to it sometime I guess." Embry muttered in a low voice. He was visibly upset, but I leaned over to give him a big kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you!" I squealed and put the song back on. I could tell that he didn't like it, mostly because his knuckles were white against the steering wheel and that's saying something because he has russet-brown skin, but he didn't complain. Not once and that shows just how much he loved me. So the next time I let him blow my ear drums out with his 'music'. I figured it was only fair. That's how we set up our little routine and soon, though we both will never admit it, I caught him singing '_Dancing Queen'_ under his breath and he caught my feet tapping involuntarily along with the screaming songs.

The Winter Formal was approaching faster than I thought possible. One minute it seemed like it was in the distant horizon and the next it was a week away. Kim and I decided that we needed to go dress shopping. She insisted that we should bring Embry and Jared. I wasn't too sold on the idea. In the end she agreed that maybe she did need some time away from him. Jared thanked me endlessly on bended knee in the hallway at school before we left to go to the mall. Boys didn't hate the mall that much, did they?

I took the truck because Kim drove us up to Seattle last time and we parked near the front entrance of the mall. A bunch of boys nearly fell over when we exited the vehicle. I bet they seriously weren't expecting two girls to be riding in it. I smiled winked at them before twirling the key ring on my finger and locking the doors with a loud beep. One of the shell-shocked boys recovered quick enough to say "_Nice_.", before Kim and I entered through the glass doors.

Dress shopping for Kim was like pulling my nails off. It wasn't that she didn't like any of the dresses we found, it was that she liked ALL the dresses we found. She was perfectly content to take whichever dress I picked out for her. Our conversations in the dressing room went something like this:

"Well, what do you think?" I asked circling around Kim to see if the dress was right for her.

"I like it." I stopped my hovering to stare straight into Kim's honest face. She wasn't kidding around with that comment; she really did like the dress even though the pale pink color hideously drowned out her face making it seem like the dress was wearing her instead of the other way around.

"No, this isn't the dress." I pointed for her to go back and change into the other billion dresses I'd picked out for her and she trudged back into the stall. Unhappy, but willing to listen and take my advice. Kim would have just bought the first dress she picked.

That was not happening on my watch. I owed Jared for what I had made him endure with Kim. Well, maybe not so much now because he did get a reprieve from coming to the mall, but I still felt bad enough that there had to be a dress out there that made Kim…stand out.

After about the thirty-seventh time this conversation ensued I got a little annoyed. Couldn't she just once say what she really thought? If she didn't like it then she should just tell me.

"Kim!" I half-yelled, half-cried in exasperation from the outside of the stall where I waited patiently. "Just tell me which one you _love_."

A minute passed and I didn't hear anything, but a rustle of clothes. Then the door cracked open and just Kim's face appeared in it. She looked troubled as she bit her bottom lip to keep from trembling.

"Well, I do sort of have a favorite, but…"

"But…" I enticed her to go on.

"But it's too expensive! I could never afford it."

"Let me see the dress." I ordered like a psycho fashion dictator. Kim complied by widening the door's crack so she could step out in this amazing royal blue dress that stopped at the bottom of her knees. It hugged her tiny frame and the thick straps plunged down in to V-neck. It looked amazing on her, making her eyes shine and hair look highlighted with different tones. Maybe she did have a fashion sense after all.

"Get your clothes back on. We've found the one." I whispered reverently and Kim just shook her head. I narrowed my eyes in annoyance. "What?"

"I'm not letting you buy me this dress. I refuse. I'd rather go naked to the dance then let you buy me one more thing." Kim said a little pushy, wow she's been hanging around me to much.

"Really? In that case…" I trailed of suggestively and Kim gave me a little shove before she giggled. "How about I pay the difference. You pay with what you have and I'll put up the rest of the money."

Kim persisted that she didn't want my money, but I persuaded her by pointing out that the dress really did look good. She agreed in the end. I knew she would.

"So, where are you getting your dress?" Kim asked me excitedly as we exited the department store.

"I've already got mine. I've got tons of dresses that Embry hasn't seen."

"Oh."

"I just want to buy you a brand new dress." I told her truthfully. There really wasn't any point in lying to her anymore. The charade was over.

"Why?" She questioned

"Honestly Kim, because you deserve it. You're a great person and plus I figured I had a small debt." I admitted and shrugged it off as we got into the cab of the truck. Kim didn't comment for a long time. We were out of Seattle by the time she looked at me ad said "Thanks Sophie." That was more than I was worthy of.

Kim and I decided on Saturday that she would come over to Emily's house to get ready for the dance with me. Partly because I wanted to make sure she looked great when Jared and Embry picked us up and partly because I didn't think I could handle all Kim's little sister's going through my makeup. Hey, I'm an only child.

I slipped on my red empire waisted dress that fanned out at the bottom stopping mid-thigh. I paused to think that maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't let me in the dance with a dress this short, but I decided it was worth the risk.

The school picked probably the best night of the year to have the dance. I mean that with all the sarcasm I can muster at this point. I pictured the night being cloudless and perfect to where Embry and I could stare up at the stars like we'd done a few times on the beach, but no the weather was against us in every way. Not only was it storming, but chunks of hail were raining down on us in the bitter cold of that February night. I wasn't particularly happy when Embry and Jared walked into the house holding out umbrellas for Kim and I, but they were. I swear to you, Jared was panting when he laid eyes on Kim. I know for a fact that her dress would not be staying on her. Mine, unfortunately, would.

When we got to the dance my high heels were soaked, I was shivering uncontrollably, and I wore my long overcoat into the dance so I needn't have worried about my dress being too short. The only good part about the night was that Embry hugged me close to his chest the whole time to keep me warm as he gave me little kisses sporadically all over my face.

Why is it that I plan and plan for things to happen, such as this night, and in the end the perfect dream always slips in between my fingers? It only happened here, in La Push, too. Maybe it's because I didn't have things at my disposal here. It was like I just had to take the good with the bad if I wanted to live here. My hair would never be flat with the climate here, I would never be accepted because I was different in all ways including physical attributes, I didn't share the same beliefs and household morals as most, but I had Embry with me. So did he tip the scales enough for me to stay? The year was dwindling and I could see the anxiety in Embry's eyes as I mentioned the date to him a couple times, just in passing. I wanted to stay. I really did, but could I ask that of Embry? To always be there for me, constantly?

I didn't know what I would do. I didn't want to think about it so I tried to get lost in the moment and the feel of Embry's large arms around my waist. This was why I was here now. This love, that was all I needed for now, but was it enough for forever?

The dance wasn't the best night of my life, it wouldn't even make the top ten, but it did give me some things to think about. I was constantly mulling over my situation and where the _hell_ Bella was. Now every time I called Bella her voicemail picked up, but it wouldn't let me leave a message. According to the wonderful automated voice, her voicemail box was full. What was that girl _doing?_

Well, whatever, the only reason I had so much time to mull so many things over was because the pack was at it again. Doing my favorite word 'patrolling', they used that word so frequently that if I had a dime for every time someone said it around here I would be richer than my parents. Now that's saying something. Embry was barely home, barely at school, barely around. Sometimes I wondered where he went, if he was even staying in the same state as me some nights.

The very few minutes we got to share alone together were a catastrophe. We sat on Emily's couch, or really he sprawled out on it and I sort of fell on top of him, watching TV. The rest of the pack were around the cottage somewhere, most were eating in the kitchen. I think they were trying to give Embry and I privacy, that or Embry threatened them to stay away. I suggested we go to my tiny room so we'd be out of everyone's way, but Emily didn't exactly see how I approached things. Clearly she didn't know Embry's strict rules we had to follow.

I didn't really want to watch bad reruns of an old 80's sitcom I wanted to talk to him. I missed his voice, his laugh, _him,_ just being around me. I turned towards Embry's face minutes after we had sat down only to find him sleeping like a baby. I should have been furious that he'd fallen asleep on the few precious minutes we had together, but I wasn't; I just looked at his face and sighed. It was the life of a werewolf imprint. I got off of him and gently kissed his forehead before I headed out the back door to sit on the swing situated in the back away from everyone, funnily enough.

It was then, just as I sat down, that I felt my phone vibrating non-stop in my pocket. I looked at the called ID and picked up quickly shouting into the receiver happily. "Chella!"

"Soph? Ohmygod I haven't talked to you in a month!" I heard her high pitched voice crackle at me over the phone. I was so overjoyed that I could have nearly skipped.

"I know! What have you and Anthony been doing? How were your holidays? How's school?"

"Ah, Sophie one question at a time!" My friend giggled and I could barely here her over the noisy background. I wondered where she was.

"Anthony's right next to me."

"HEY SOPHIE!" I heard a male voice yell at me. It sounded like it was coming from far away.

I laughed. "Hey Anthony!"

"Sophie, guess where we are. You will never guess."

"I don't know." I replied truthfully. Honestly it sounded like she was standing in front of a swarming hive of bees.

"We're at a film festival!" Chella screeched in her pitchy I-can't-fucking-believe-this-voice. The exact voice she'd used when I told her I'd moved to La Push.

"Really?" I smiled and tried to put some emphasis in my voice. I just couldn't find it in myself to care though. I was glad for them; I really was, but see I didn't need to go to a film festival because it felt like I was living in a fairytale movie already. That's the funny thing about living in La Push. Your perspective changes. Once upon a time I might have cared for meeting celebrities, but now, well now the only thing I wanted to see was Chella and Anthony. _They_ were important to me, not the stupid glamoured up stars.

Ok, so I was a _little_ jealous.

"You'll never guess who we met already! Who did we see Anthony? Uh, Reese Witherspoon, Natalie Portman, Kate Beckinsale…" She trailed off, probably still thinking. "Well, there were more, but Kate was the nicest. Right?" Chella always checked with Anthony to see if he agreed with her. It was sort of an annoying habit. Why couldn't she just trust her own judgment? Oh well, that was just so… Chella.

"Who's that?" I asked trying to wrack my brains on who exactly she was talking about. I was trying to put a face with the name.

"You know, she did those _Underworld_ movies. The ones with the vampires fighting against the werewolves and she wears this-"

I stopped listening as soon as those two words connected in my mind. _Werewolf. Vampire._ It didn't take me long to understand because the puzzle was still fresh in my mind. My heart thudded uncontrollably in my chest as I slowly slid my phone closed, hanging up on a ranting Chella. She had just told me exactly what I'd been looking for. The final piece. _Click._ It fell into place. I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe that Bella and her family were vampires, but _it all fit_. The Cullen's inhuman beauty, their mounds of accumulating money, their aversion of La Push to get the Crème cakes. It all made sense. Even down to the part where Embry didn't want to tell me because Bella was, in a sense, related to me. It was so stupid that I should believe there are vampires roaming around the world, but hey I was living with werewolves. What's going to be thrown at me next? Mummies? I sighed and leaned back on the swing in a daze. Enemies, they were enemies! My boyfriend and Bella's family were mortal enemies! Wasn't this going to make the holidays a bit more interesting?


	14. The Master Plan

I didn't know what to make of Chella's revelation. I sat on the swing for longer than I cared to know. The reason might have been something about how I could see the inside of Emily's kitchen through the open window. I peered inside like I would a fish bowl. All the occupants were scattered around like a moving picture, the perfect family. Emily and Sam danced together doing a sort of tango on the floor. Paul and Brady were sniggering into their hands in the kitchen doorway, Seth looked on thoughtfully as he was perched on the counter top, Quil was still scarfing down the buffet placed on the table.

They were fine without me. They were fine without my hindrance, because that's exactly what I was. They couldn't talk freely in front of me for fear of letting something slip and upset me. All I had been was a burden so far making mistake after mistake. I wasn't contributing much to everyone yet they gave me everything they had and more. Emily let me stay in her house, Sam shared Emily, Collin and Brady made me laugh with their still boyish humor, Paul, Quil, and Jared feuded with others at school over me, Kim was my lifeline who talked to me about everything I couldn't with the other boys, and Embry had given me anything he could. What had I given them? Worry, heartache, trouble, anger, and attitude. The contents of my stomach churned at that thought.

There was nothing I could do, but admit the truth. I couldn't hide it. I didn't want to anyway. I wanted to know the exact reason why Embry thought I couldn't handle this. I know he was protecting me, but I had the right to know. More than Kim even because this involved me directly in more ways than one.

I tried to configure what I was going to say to them all. 'Oh, hey guys listen, um just figured out the big secret. You hate vampires!' No, I don't think that was going to work.

Then I had an idea. A crazy idea that would free everyone from myself. I could use this revelation against him, to rip us apart. I could give them what they desired. I might not be able to contribute much, but I could do this one thing for them. If I hurt Embry badly enough, maybe he could be with everyone that made him happy. I wanted to include myself in that category, but I knew I only brought everyone annoyance. I had to. I was just terrible at everything life had to offer.

Was I willing though? Was I willing to give up the one person who was my life? Was I willing to give up Embry? I'd have to go back on every promise we'd ever made to each other. Every single conversation would be a lie. I'd have to though. It was only fair because I'd had my months of bliss, but it was just temporary. I couldn't stay in this life forever no matter how much I wanted to. I just couldn't fit in with the tribe physically and mentally. We weren't on the same wavelengths and not only that, but I couldn't have Embry saving me all the time. I had to save him and the rest of the pack. From myself. Just this once.

As I trudged into the kitchen everyone looked my way, surprised that I had been outside while it was drizzling hard. I couldn't meet their eyes as I made my way to the one person I was looking for, the one I was always looking for.

Embry was on the couch looking a bit disoriented like he'd just woken up. I actually think he had and by the way Seth was guffawing hysterically I'd say that he was the one who'd done the honors. Embry's face was set in a glare until he saw me enter the room. His eyes lit up like always as I sat down beside him, not touching him at all, with my hands in my lap. I gulped. I could to this. I could.

His face fell a little when he noticed my tense position and he sat up quickly to scan me with his eyes. I wouldn't look at him. He'd see everything he needed to know and more if he got a glimpse of my eyes.

"So, I was just on the phone with Chella…" I whispered and Embry leaned forward to where our knees were touching. I bet he could just feel me trembling, but I wasn't exactly sure why.

By this time a lot of the pack had followed me into the living room and were now staring at Embry and I with baited breaths. I must have floated in here like a ghost and I hadn't even known it. "She said something that made everything clear." I continued in my low voice. I felt Embry jerk back and emit a sort of hiss.

The pack shifted uncomfortably around, all staring at each other in amazement. I finally turned towards Embry because I needed to see his face. Just to see what he was thinking and maybe to be a little more dramatic as I told him my revelation.

"So you chase vampires, huh?" Embry's jaw dropped and his eyes widened in disbelief. It was quiet throughout the entire house for a good five minutes.

"H-how did you-? What do you mean?" My boyfriend stuttered out in shock. I could only smile tightly at him as his face immediately went Sam's. Of course it did. It always did. The pack was Embry's life and even though I knew what I was getting into I also knew that he could love me. He'd just have to get Sam's permission. That thought annoyed me. It made my calm and collected attitude shoot through the roof right into aggravation. My act became believable, I almost believed it myself.

"You should have told me Embry. I know this is about Bella, but you should have told me." I murmured viciously and stood to stare down at him. I wanted to create the effect that I was right and he was the one that was in trouble for not telling me, but it didn't work out as I planned. Embry was about the same height as me and he was sitting on the sofa. I turned to march out of the house with anger and then I'd come back later and gather my things, but that plan was thwarted also by Sam catching me around the wrist and swinging me around.

"I told him not to, Sophie. I told him not to because I wanted you to be _safe_ and even though Embry agreed with my plan I knew how hard it was for him to not be able to share everything. Blame me, not him." Sam dictated to me. This made me all the more furious. He was no leader of _mine_. He had no right to tell me who to blame and besides he was messing everything up! Well, maybe this could work to my advantage.

I wrenched my hand back out of his grasp. "I just wanted be treated equally! Like everyone else is. I want to know what everyone else already knows. All of it!" I growled menacingly at the very tall, very buff alpha werewolf. Sam should have smacked some sense into me because I was way out of line, but he didn't. He seemed to take my anger in stride, maybe he was use to moody females. Sam's hard eyes narrowed for a moment before he sighed and took a step back from me.

"Keep her in line Embry." He forced out harshly and when he moved out of my line of vision I saw that Embry had risen from the couch and was behind the pack leader.

"I can talk however I want to whomever I want. You aren't my parents, you aren't my elders, and you're certainly not my family. Families don't lie to each other and they definitely aren't controlled by some hot-headed, egotistical dictator!" I shrieked with my fists clenched by my sides. Ok, so maybe I was getting into this too much. Embry didn't move a single muscle.

The entire pack went deadly silent.

"Sam is not a dictator." Embry replied sharply after a few moments and I could see something that bordered dislike in his eyes. Finally, geez. "He does what he thinks is right. Decision making is hard. You should know that."

"Oh sure!" I spat out in disgust "Take his side. _Sam's side_. Are you doing this because he's forcing you?"

"It's not like that-"

"What about me, Embry?" I cut him off violently and moved towards the extremely angry werewolf. I should have moved back because that's what I was aiming for, the door, but I couldn't. He was calling me towards his body. I didn't want to do this. I ached horrendously all over as if every part of me was breaking away from him. All I wanted to do was to be in his arms as he held me safe, but I couldn't. I was doing this for his sake, for everyone's. It was like a strange sensation was wrapping itself around me forcing me to go to him, it felt like magic. I resisted the pull though. I was seriously acting like the brat I knew I could be. This fight reminded me of the time that my mother and father were in a battle over me. My mother had wanted to skip going to Paris because my birthday had fallen on the week the trip was planned. They'd totally forgotten about it until that night.

"What about me?" My father had yelled at my mother as she unpacked all her clothing from her suitcase. My father was livid that she'd cancelled. He loved going back to his home country.

"It's Sophie's birthday! We can't just leave our only child!" My mother protested to him as her high heels clacked loudly against their wooden floors. I sat against the door of my closet completely closed in on myself to the point where I couldn't breathe. I could hear them all the way down the hall. I didn't want to cry. I held onto myself so tightly because I didn't want to be weak. I had to be grown up; I had to be a lady.

"She's eight Marianne! She won't even care! She's just a child and it's not like we were here for her birthday last year anyway!" My father stormed after my mother and lifted the clothes she'd just put back in the drawers to put them back in the suitcase. "I need to go to France. I haven't been there in four months!"

My father had won that fight because my mother loved him. She loved him so much. She would do anything for him because she adored him and he, well, he adored her too. They loved each other and I should have been happy about that because almost all the kid's at my boarding school had divorced parents. Secretly though, I wished mine would divorce. It was a horrible thought and I should have never considered the idea, but I couldn't help it. Maybe if they weren't together they'd want to be with me more. Maybe I would remind each of the other and they'd want to keep me closer to them. It was just passing thoughts though. I didn't dwell on them too seriously because I knew it would never happen. They were perfect for each other. I was just a byproduct of their affection, nothing special and not really needed. Just there.

"What do you mean?" Embry asked at a loss for words and suddenly my mind swam back into the present. I wasn't eight, I wasn't at home, and I wasn't ignored. I was here, with Embry, one of the few people who knew me. This approach wasn't working. Goddammit.

"I don't know, never mind…" I broke off and I just collapsed onto the couch in a heap. I had mounds of problems with relationships. Stupid statistics, according to them I shouldn't be as messed up as those kids who come from divorced homes yet, somehow I found myself still dealing with commitment problems. Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. The light clicked on in my head and I had to stare down at my lap so he wouldn't see my sad smile.

"No, tell me. What about you? What are you so afraid of? Are you scared that I might love you less because I don't tell you things?" Embry asked me softly and knelt down on his haunches to my eye level. His hands grazed the edges of my knee and I was suddenly highly aware of everyone in the room watching.

"No, Embry, I want to trust you. I want to trust you with my whole heart for the rest of my life. I want to be loved and I want to love you in return, but I'm so scared." I hardly whispered and fiddled with my shaking fingers. I took a deep breath and continued. "I need to be first though. Is that selfish of me? I'm sure it is, but I always want to be before everyone else. I know it's going to drive a wedge between us, but I'll feel safer. If I'm always number one, then I'll never get hurt. Can you do that Embry? Are you up for that, because if you asked it of me I know I _might_ not be able to commit." I hated myself. I couldn't believe I was forcing him to put me before all others. I was forcing him to put me before his family, his mom, and his brothers. What kind of person was I? Hopefully a better one if this works.

I took the time to peer up at him through my hair and saw his face completely torn. His eyes were squinted in pain and his mouth twisted into a half-snarl, half-grimace.

"I understand." I told him quietly and got up to go to my room. He didn't grab me and pull me back like I expected. I made it to my bed and had half my things packed before I heard the knock. "Come in."

I knew it was Embry without even looking up. What I didn't know was that Sam was with him too. I didn't really understand what was going on, but they closed the door behind them to try and shut the other eavesdroppers out. Embry stared at my half packed suitcase in disbelief. He didn't comment though if he was thinking anything.

Embry took a seat on my bed a little bit away from me I noticed. His large hands were gripping his legs tightly in frustration. Well, I wasn't going to be the first one to say anything.

"I won't abandon you." Embry turned quickly to me and I caught the raw emotions in his eyes. He was hurt, beyond hurt; he was mortally wounded from my words. My eyes filled with tears at what I'd known I'd done and purposely. "I swear it, Sophie."

"How can you promise something like that? I know this whole vampire thing was so I wouldn't be hurt, but I can't be sure you aren't hiding other things. You could, you know, and I would never find out about it. Don't make promises that you can't keep."

"But I can. I physically cannot be away from you. Well, I could, but it would hurt. I would go insane with worry. You're all I think about. Have I not shown you my devotion enough?" Embry asked me desperately and my insides were just sinking. That pitiful voice would be the death of me. I couldn't stop the tears that were leaking down my face. I had to do this, but with every second that passed my resolve crumbled.

"The pack." I told him searching for something. I was grasping at straws here to put the distance between us. He just wouldn't let me go.

"I give you _my_ word that you will always be before the pack in accordance to Embry." Sam finally spoke up through the shadows. I couldn't believe this. They were double-teaming me and all I wanted was for them to be happy, but they were doing the exact opposite that I wanted them to. They were placating me once again! They were doing everything in their power to make me stay.

I didn't mean to throw myself at Embry. I didn't mean to start sobbing against his shoulder.

I did mean to say 'I can't stay here with you!' That's what I meant to say, but I didn't. Instead I blubbered out my whole stupid plan. "I'm sorry! I just wanted you to be happy! Please forgive me. I don't want to leave you! P-please, please don't hate me. I'll do anything! I didn't mean any of it. I love you! I love the pack! They can all be first, I'll be last, just please don't stop loving me! I swear I'll try my hardest to love you back… I promise-"

"Sophie, what are you talking about?" Embry asked me startled. His large hands rubbed soothing circles against my back. He pulled me into his chest as I tried to stop my tears, but they wouldn't cease. I was horrified at myself; I couldn't believe I'd thought of leaving him. There was no way that was possible now. Not unless he wanted me to leave of course. "You didn't mean all that? Then why did you say it?"

"I just wanted you to be happy! How can you if I'm such a burden-?"

Embry grabbed my face and made me stare back at his dark eyes that bored into my very soul. "Don't you ever say that about yourself." Embry growled angrily. His eyebrows scrunched together as comprehension dawned on his face. "You did all that on purpose." He breathed hard against my lips and suddenly his eyes shuddered to half-mast.

"I did all that on purpose." I admitted.

"You did that to save me from yourself?"

"I have so many problems, Embry. I'm deficient. I can't be a girlfriend let alone a wife for you."

"You _are_ perfect." Embry growled before he lowered me gently onto the bed as he hovered over my face. He kissed my lips softly. "You are the perfect girlfriend." He tilted his head to kiss the hollow of my neck. "You will be the perfect wife." I felt him lift my left hand to his mouth as he kissed my third finger. "And you are going to be the perfect mother." I felt him move slowly down to my stomach to press his hot lips against my bare flesh right below my navel. I shuddered visibly. I'd never thought about having kids with Embry, but it came to me then. I saw her as clear as day. My own little girl who looked like a porcelain Indian doll with silky russet skin, hair as black as night and her golden eyes staring back at me filled with joy. She'd look just like Embry and she'd be perfect because I would love her with all my heart, with whatever I had in me.

Sam cleared his throat loudly. Embry looked up and grinned apologetically at him.

"So, I was thinking we should have a campfire." Sam said giving Embry a look. My boyfriend, who was still on top of me, nodded once.

"You're right, I think it's time she heard _every_ legend." Embry agreed.


	15. Melody of Angels

The cool air blew against my face rubbing it raw

The cool air blew against my face rubbing it raw. I shivered violently clutching at my sweater that I'd chosen to wear tonight. Why, oh, why didn't I bring my heavy coat? I debated on it for a good twenty minutes, but in the end looking better won out over comfort. No matter what though I couldn't go back in time to fix this little mistake or my other big one.

I wished I could just bury my face in my hands forever so I would never have to meet Emily's eyes again. She was so disappointed in me for what I'd done and not only that, but so was Kim. The one person who'd always stood by my side. It was one thing to know you'd done something wrong, but it's another thing entirely when your closest friends point it out to you. There was nothing I could do though. I could apologize until ghang green makes my tongue fall off and it still wouldn't change the past.

Embry had forgiven me. I couldn't give you a reason why though. He's probably being all noble and blaming himself or something ridiculous like that. I wish, in the ten minutes that I thought about my plan to make Embry hate me so his life would be better, I would have thought about what would happen if my plan failed. Yeah, there's something that might have stopped me, but other than that I was so dead set on my idea. He thought I was too good for him? Pfsh, he was the one that was so loving and caring.

Ugh. I suppose I deserve to freeze to death. I tried to scoot myself closer to the bonfire, but there's only so far I can go before I fall off the piece of driftwood I'm sitting on. I peered through my hair to see everyone else huddled on the two other logs around the fire. I was the only one sitting on mine completely by myself. Fabulous.

They had to know the reason why I did that to Embry though. They had to. I looked up and saw Embry enter from the shadows, Sam was right behind him wheeling in some older man in a wheelchair.

Suddenly, I felt a presence next to me. I turned my head to see Kim looking the other way. She must have felt my stare on the back of her head because she finally turned to meet my gaze.

"I don't understand, Sophie. Why did you do that to him?" Kim whispered hesitantly. I hear the pleading in her voice. She wanted desperately to understand my motives. So, I guess they didn't know the reason.

"I'm not good for anyone. I burn water when I cook it takes me hours to do my chores, I'm so weak, and I make the worst choices in relationships. I think you can already think of exhibit A." I mumbled miserably looking at the dark sand between my toes.

"He doesn't care about that. He'll never care about that because he chose you." Kim said moving forward trying to force her words into my very thick skull. "Not anyone else. Out of everyone in La Push, everyone in the world, Embry chose you. You are his soul mate, for better or worse. You aren't good for him, no, you're perfect for him. Flaws and all, no matter what he will love you."

I'd honestly never thought about it that way. I was rendered speechless as Kim reached out to take my hand into hers with her other hand she pushed her hair behind her ear and sighed. "It's hard to believe, huh?" I could only nod at her statement weakly.

I'd known we were soul mates, but I don't think I thought past that point. I was taught to always be flawless. No matter what happens, you must be perfect or else you won't be loved. That's what my parents had always told me. That's how I'd always lived my life. I'd never, ever thought that Embry could love me for my blemishes. How could he when he deserved a little wife who could give him everything he desired. A clean cottage, children, and love. Unconditional love.

"Kim." Embry greeted her with a simple wave before he took a seat on the other side of me. Kim patted me lightly on my knee before getting up to nestle into her werewolf's arms across the fire. "What was that about?" Embry asked me absent-mindedly as he fished into his cut-off jean pockets for something.

"You love me." I stated as if the curtain had finally lifted up from over my eyes and I was seeing everything for the first time. Maybe I was, you see, I'd known the entire time that Embry loved me. Now though, I _felt_ his love from the crown of my head to the tips of my toes. No matter what I was loved, always and forever. There wasn't any limitations, he would always be there holding me, guiding me, giving himself to me. These simple gestures were gestures of love. Not out of obligation. He didn't do these things unwillingly. He was _happy_ to help me and save me._ That_ was the type of love he was offering me…and I was turning him down? What was wrong with me?

Embry froze to look at my glassy eyed expression. "I do, truly." He laughed lightly with a slightly hysterical edge to it. I don't think he knew what to make of everything that had happened recently and I don't think he knew what to make of my sudden outburst.

His answer didn't take me off guard, but my reaction was still horribly awry. I heard myself gasping audibly over and over again, but I couldn't stop. My lungs couldn't retain any air. I felt dizzy and then hands were cupping my face. Eyes were staring into mine, dark eyes full of worry and confusion.

"Sophie? What's the matter? What's wrong? What do you need?" It felt like Embry's voice was all around me.

"Hold me, please." I croaked as my eyes sort of rolled in the back of my head. I was afraid I was going to black out and fall head first into the sand. Let me tell you something that you may not know, sand is the hardest thing in the world to get out of your hair. It could be three weeks after a trip to the beach and I'd still be finding little grains of dirt while shampooing my hair in the shower. I might be emotionally inept, but I wasn't stupid.

Suddenly heat was everywhere and the cold melted off of me. I could just feel my skin loosing causing the goose bumps that had risen on my arm to disappear. My breathing evened out because the sweet smell of Embry calmed my nerves. I could stay like this forever. I wanted to.

I lifted my head to give Embry a searing kiss. It was the least I could do. He responded willingly tangling his fingers into my long hair momentarily before he pulled his lips away from mine. "I think we're ready for the stories, Mr. Black." Embry directed grinning crookedly without ever looking away from my face. I blushed as I remembered everyone around us.

Embry propped me up on his lap burying his face into the side of my neck. I reached up with my right hand to rake my nails through his short wild hair. Embry gave me a low rumble of satisfaction in the back of his throat. I leaned back into his warm embrace and was amazed at what I heard.

The old man in the wheelchair, who looked like he could have been carved from wood for how many lines were etched in his face, must have been who Embry was talking to because he started painting a tale of the past right in front of my eyes. Words fell from his lips like they were forbidden and maybe they were. I was sure I was only allowed to hear these legends because I'd figured everything out. Yet the tales were beautifully spun. I could almost see the smoky figures of Embry's descendants dancing around the crackling fire.

I stared deeply into the low bonfire as I tried to keep up. Embry kept translating words for me needlessly. I could have figured out everything for myself. Such as the _cold ones_ were definitely the vampires. He didn't have to tell me that, but I didn't protest. I just let his hot breathe tickle my ear.

The bonfire was informative and I'm not at all talking about the legends I was told. For instance, I finally realized that not only did Embry love me, but… I loved him back. Yes, I, Sophronia De Lorme loved Embry Call.

Could I tell him? No.

I didn't know how to go about it. Did I just blurt it out? I couldn't do that. I wanted everything to be perfect when I finally revealed that part of me.

Embry decided for both of us that since the pack was getting in the way all the time we needed to start spending designated date nights together. The first rule enforced was that the pack would not be talked about. These dates were strictly for each other.

"Tell me what you loved about your house." Embry asked me late one night out of the blue as we lay on the beach under the stars. Yeah, we'd taken to sneaking out, (hey, we needed a little adventure) but in our defense Sam knew about it. He knew everything of course so it wasn't really 'sneaking out' it was more of 'leaving through the window without permission.'

"You can't laugh." I giggled with embarrassment as I rolled on top of his bare chest. Embry raised his fingers in a sort of Boy Scout salute looking very solemn.

I rolled my eyes and leaned my head on my hands before beginning. "The crape myrtle trees that were all around my pond in the backyard, my mom had one in every color, pink, red, and white. I loved hitting the branches when they were in full bloom and the little flowers would fall all around me. It made me feel like I was in a parade with confetti blowing in the wind, like I was someone special." I sighed and cocked my head to the side as I thought of all the times my mother yelled at me for leaving the trees completely bare and it was only mid-spring.

I don't know how long I was lost in my reverie, but when I finally came out of it I'd noticed Embry hadn't said a word. He watched my intently. "What? Have you never danced in a grove of crape myrtles as their flowers littered the ground?" I teased poking his hard chest with one finger.

"No," He grabbed my finger and gave it a swift kiss on the very tip. "I haven't."

"It's pretty fun."

"I imagine so. Though one thing bothers me with that story." Embry lifted his chin and pushed his lips out to look thoughtful. "I can't see you _dancing_."

I slapped him playfully on the shoulder looking overly-offended. "I'll have you know that I was the best ballerina in my ballet class. I'm a good dancer." I sniffed and tossed my loose hair over one shoulder. I made a move to get up, but he grabbed me faster than lightening to pull me back down on him.

"I've just never seen you, that's all; you could show me though and maybe then I'll be able to picture it-"

"Yeah, good try. That's not likely. Do you know how embarrassing that would be?" I cried in horror scrunching my face up like I'd drank sour milk.

"How? I'd be the only one to see it."

"Um, yeah for now, but later…" I trailed off suggestively as he winced. I didn't want to dwell on that topic. The pack was out for tonight. "What would _you_ find embarrassing?" I asked him to change the course of the conversation before grinning wickedly as his face paled, or as much as it could pale, in the moonlight.

"Well, it's hard to say, I mean after having everyone already know all your dirty laundry…" Embry muttered and I narrowed my eyes at him in annoyance at the mention of the pack. He had to comply with his own rules as well. "Hmm, 'would' that's future tense right? I guess I can't say singing ABBA songs in my head during patrol then…"

I snorted.

"I would probably choose performing in general then, like in front of others."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I didn't think Embry minded being in front of other people. "Really?"

"Yep. Scares the crap out of me."

"Oh, surely not the fearless vampire hunter? You can face the undead head on, but when it comes to doing something you actually like… that's when it gets hard." I'll admit, I was laying on the sarcasm a bit thick, but he didn't seem to mind. I actually think that he was enjoying this side of my personality.

"Hey now," Embry tugged gently on a few strands of my hair before giving me a huge smile. "I didn't make fun of you."

"You've sworn not to laugh though. I've no oath to bind me, unlike you."

"Ah Sophie." Embry sighed in defeat before turning to look to the side. Yeah, he knew I was right. "Will you do something for me?" I nudged him gently so he would face me again.

"I'm almost afraid to agree." He said in amusement. I bit my bottom lip to keep from smiling.

"You don't have to. It might even be hazardous." I stated gravely.

"With you? Oh, everything certainly is." He joked chuckling at my expense. I let that one slide, but some annoyance must have been displayed on my face because he sobered up quickly. "Ok, what is it?"

"Sing to me, Embry." He looked startled for a moment at my request. Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't that. I was nearly gleeful when he didn't shoot me down right away. Seriously though, I wasn't going to tell anyone. It's not like I had a large pack of wolves exploring my thoughts.

"Fine, but under one condition."

"What's that?"

"If I sing, you dance."

My jaw dropped. I was _not _expecting that one. He smiled innocently at me, puckering out his lips just so, making his face nearly irresistible. It wasn't fair. I wanted to say 'no', but the overwhelming urge to hear him sing won out over all of it and before I knew what I was doing, I agreed.

So, now, here I am sitting in the bed of the truck just outside the limits of the sand on the beach, while Embry tunes his guitar (He'd ran to his house about five minutes away to go retrieve it) just right.

"What are you going to sing?"

"I don't know, what moves are you going to dance?"

"Touché." Embry laughed out loud at that before strumming his guitar strings freely to hear the sound.

"Ready?" He asked me giddily as sparkles of happiness jumped around in his eyes. I groaned, loudly. I can't believe I agreed to this.

I stood up and fixed my feet into first position as the beginning notes of his song started. The beat started rising and rising and I knew I had to think fast. Just what was I going to do? Dance freely? No, that would look so stupid. It had been two years since I'd been in a ballet studio. I'd taken that form of dance for about ten years of my life, but the most prominent thing that stuck out in my mind was my final recital. I was part of the flock of swans always surrounding the lead in the popular ballet _Swan Lake_; I was good, but not that good to get the part of Odette. In my defense, I _was_ always placed in front of all the other swans. I had good technique, just terrible timing. Madame Legnani _always _praised me for my perfectly pointed toes, though she could frequently be heard saying wistfully about me 'If only she could keep to the beat of the orchestra…'

All that though was neither here nor there because what I needed at this moment with Embry is exactly what I lacked. I couldn't keep time and I guarantee you that he wasn't going to play Opus 20. (I diligently memorized every step with every beat in that song so I wouldn't have to remember to listen to the full piece of music, just the individual notes) So, now I just had to transfer a few broken dance pieces of _Swan Lake_ to fit a modern, acoustic song I'd never heard of. This would be interesting.

Embry started singing in his amazing low voice that could only be described as powerful. He wasn't loud, but he was mesmerizing, so much so that you strained your ears to listen to his every word. I swayed on the spot for a moment before my arms just moved freely to his lilting voice. Then like nothing I'd ever done before, my feet started to dance in time to the notes. I'd never heard the song, but I couldn't have been any better if I had rehearsed it. Strangely enough, the song really went well with whatever parts I could remember from my old ballet.

"…_I've given a lot of thought to the nights we used to have. _

_The days have come and gone our lives went by so fast. _

_I faintly remember breathing on your bedroom floor where I laid and told you, but you swear you loved me more._

_Do you care if I don't know what to say?_

_Will you sleep tonight or will you think of me? _

_Will I shake this off pretend its all okay? _

_That there's someone out there who feels just like me. There is…,"_

The song was over before I'd finished my steps, but like I said, this silly little ensemble of talents wasn't faultless. I heard the ending notes playing and I finally found the courage to look at Embry. He was staring open mouthed at me in wonder. His hands rested gingerly on the body of his guitar. I didn't know what to do. We sat there and looked at each other for a few minutes, just absorbing the other at our most embarrassing moments.

"You were great." I whispered into the breeze, but his ears caught my praise. Embry tossed his guitar into the very back of the truck before hurtling to my side. He picked me up by my waist, high above his head, so that I was sort of flying into the starry night.

"You are an angel." He told me as he let me fall slowly down the length of his body. He twirled me a little before we were both back on the lip of the truck. I couldn't take it anymore. The adrenaline pumping through my body made me wild. I straddled his lap, wrapping his head around my arms to pull him in for a kiss. My lips met his with such force that we both toppled backwards. My hands moved up and down his body, so indecisive. I couldn't find which part of him I wanted to touch because if it was up to me I'd want it all. I was much too greedy.

I didn't feel him move under me. The only part of him working was his tongue and even that was hesitant, but I pushed him harder, further than I'd ever gone before, further than he's allowed me to go before. I was positive that he was going to stop me if I went beyond, but Embry always surprised me.

I felt something snap in his chest and then his hands were on me urging me forward. He flipped me under him, wrapping one of my legs around his waist as he lay in the cradle of my body. I removed his shirt easily and before I knew it mine was off as well. His trembling hands massaged the cloth of my bra as my nails dug into his back. I leaned my head back as his lips moved down the column of my throat, and then they replaced his hands on my chest. He nipped gently at my sensitive skin sending all my nerve endings haywire. I managed to unbutton the top of his jeans, without him really noticing, then the zipper, nope he was still occupied. I was nearly delirious that I was going to get what I'd wanted. I was going to be with Embry and the funny thing was, I wasn't at all nervous. No, I thought I was going to explode from the inside out with pleasure.

Very slowly I moved my hands against the cloth of his boxers feeling rock hardness beneath it. I bit my lip to swallow the moan that was on the tip of my tongue. Embry was removing one strap of my bra off my shoulder. Well, he was taking things pretty slowly, but I wasn't going to protest. Whatever kept his mind somewhere else while I managed what I wanted.

My fingers slipped past the elastic waist band of his boxers and then I felt the hard-

Embry jerked back off of me standing up and grabbing his pants just in time before they fell off his narrow waist. "Sophie!" he gasped out trying to catch his breath. He refastened his pants as I sat there completely put out. "No! We can't-"

"This is so stupid!" I stomped my foot down against the bed of the truck while still in my sitting position. I crossed my arms protectively over my chest. Embry grabbed his shirt, yanking it over his head, before getting mine and handing it to me.

"Look, I just think that this might not be the most romantic place…" Embry trailed off blushing slightly under his russet skin while he lifted my fallen bra strap back on my shoulder.

"So that's a maybe?"

"That's a 'we will talk about it later'." Screw talking, I wanted action! I wanted action badly because I was shaking with pent up frustration, sexual frustration. I suppose it was the best I was going to get tonight, but I felt his barriers crumbling. Embry pulled me towards his chest before laying down again to look up at the stars. I felt his erratic heartbeat in his ribcage and I smiled knowing that I caused it. "You _look_ like an angel, but sometimes I fear that your naughty demon side will be the death of me."

"You like it, admit it."

"Sophie," he warned and I pursed my lips with annoyance. I guess this really was the end of the conversation. My eyes drifted up to the finally cloudless skies. The stars shone brightly, for once, on La Push. Then a star shot across the sky, like a sign from the heavens.

"Did you see that? A shooting star!" Embry said excitedly and looked down at me in amazement.

"You know, my mom use to tell me that shooting stars were angels flying across the sky. They did it as a promise to all who saw them; that their night would be perfect and a wish would be granted." I recited the words that echoed around in my head, it was the voice of my mother not my own. I unexpectedly realized that I missed her.

"What's your wish, Sophie?" Embry whispered, barely audible.

"I can't tell you or it won't come true." I protested.

"Well I'll tell you mine, because I know it will. I wish I feel this way, as I do tonight, about you all the time. You see? That wish will always come true."

"Is that your promise to me?"

"Yes."

"Then I trust you, Embry. So help me God, I'm trusting a werewolf." I giggled slightly at how ridiculous my own words sounded. Embry didn't comment, but he did tighten his grip around me. We sat there until dawn while I pondered my own wish. The wish that everything in Embry and I's relationship could be perfect, even if it did involve a few mistakes and flaws in the process. Maybe we could work together though we were so totally different, like his song and my dance did. If that's one thing I learned in this town, it's that nothing can ever be right without being so completely wrong first.

**A/N: So first I would like to thank all my faithful reviewers. I absolutely adore everyone and I can't believe how many people from different countries read this. It's so cool! I'd love to hear from my fans over there. Also sorry updates are infrequent my bio explains it well I think. Oh and the song was 'There Is' by Boxcar Racer. Like it so far? **


	16. Respecting Property

I totally hated work. I totally hated chores. I totally hated La Push. Everything was running smoothly for a while, but then it just hit a brick wall. I was back to wondering if I was doomed to this life. It was monotonous. I don't think I could be any more indecisive. Possibly the only thing going my way was that everyone had forgiven me, again. That's about it though.

First of all, animals are always fun to play with. Especially because it makes a job less boring. They're unpredictable, you know? However, being so unpredictable can become annoying, _fast_.

In the past month nearly every dog I'd bathed had given me a bath in return. It was miserable. I could just see them getting ready to shake out their dripping wet fur and there was nothing I could do about it except cover my face with my hands. I'd trudge into Emily's smelling worse than the whole pack combined. Even Embry was slightly repulsed.

Then of course when I was home I'd have to help Emily with all the household chores and make some kind of huge ass dinner for everyone, which I burned more often than not. So, basically I smelled and then sweated, so I smelled some more. Then to top everything off, like the cherry on my high milkshake of problems, I had nightmares.

They started off with me growing old at a rapid pace inside of a one room hut. I was seated in a red rocking chair looking out a window into the distance as time slipped by. The landscape outside was like a moving dial, one minute the city of Paris was shining brightly on the outside of the window pane and the next minute it was London, then Berlin. I'd try frantically to get out the cottage, scraping uselessly against the window with my finger nails. I could never get out though, I could never leave. I was forever stuck in the cabin, going stir-crazy as Embry ran around the hut in circles protecting me…or was he my guard to keep me in? The last segment would always go something like me looking in the mirror and seeing myself an old woman. My life was wasted.

Then I'd wake up screaming.

I couldn't tell Embry about these dreams, but he, like always, knew something was wrong.

So I only told him about the first two things bugging me and like always he would try and find a way to fix them.

"Alright, Sophie now we're going to let you in on a few little secrets." Embry promised me. I had no idea what he was planning, but I was standing outside in Emily's backyard with a huge basin in front of me and three grinning boys. Oh, did I mention I was in my bikini and it was already shaping up to be a very cloudy day?

"Ok Quil, you're up." The smiling boy nodded and went off to the trees only to come back in his werewolf form. A chocolate coat covered him from head to toe.

The large animal pranced over to the empty basin and leapt agilely inside. I turned to Embry completely confused, but he didn't say much he just handed me the hose. "Wash him."

"Excuse me?"

"Wash him. Quil's going to show you how dog's react. If he doesn't like something you're doing, he's probably going to try and jump out, right? Wouldn't you? Of course you would. Dog's are like that too. If he gets too wet, he's going to try and dry off by shaking… so we're going to kind of teach you ways to handle dogs, er, better." Embry reached up to scratch his own head making him seem adorable, only Embry could say that idiotic speech and come out looking like a professor on animal behavior.

I looked at him dumbfounded. "…and you know all this because you're a werewolf?"

"Hey, we have instincts." Embry shrugged slightly at me.

Quil howled to the sky and I jumped back scared. "Don't worry, I'm right here. Nothing's going to happen to you, now Quil awaits." Embry told me softly giving me a shove in the huge werewolf's direction. Yep, I can believe Embry came up with this plan. It was so goofy and moronic that it just might work.

I walked up cautiously behind the huge animal and the wolf turned to look at me with humor in his eyes. Oh, he thought this was funny did he? I aimed the nozzle right at his back and sprayed it full blast. The Quil-wolf jumped up with a yelp.

"Well, now I can see why all the dogs try and run away from you." Seth chuckled lowly from behind Embry.

"Sophie, you've got to be gentle." Embry scolded in a hard voice like he was my teacher. I turned to glare at him before easing my fingers against the nozzle so the spray came out with less force. "Good now always keep your hands on Quil to reassure him that you're there. That way he won't shake the water off of him and he won't jump out frightened." I did just as he said shampooing Quil from head to foot. I noticed Quil particularly liked it when I washed behind his ears. His back legs gave an involuntary twitch and I laughed endlessly at that making him do it over and over again as I scrubbed at that particular spot longer than others. I grabbed the towel quickly keeping a hold on the huge animal before I gave him a rub down. Quil gave me a deep rumble of satisfaction from the depths of his chest before trotting off into the woods to become a man again.

"That was amazing, Sophie!" He gave me a high-five and I had to jump up to hit his hand. "Those nails you've got really do the trick."

I heard Seth snorting unceremoniously as he disappeared into the trees before coming out as a huge sandy wolf.

"Wow, your fur's an amazing color." I told him in awe. I went up slowly to pet him behind the ears, just like Quil had liked, but Seth's leg didn't twitch. "Oh, we'll find your tickle spot. Don't you worry." I promised letting amusement color my tone of voice.

Seth sort of let out this gust of air, like he was laughing and I tried to stop myself, but it was just too funny. A werewolf, trying to laugh? Oh please this world is just absurd.

Seth turned out to be a tricky customer mostly because I think Embry told him to be. "Look, you see if you spend too much time on one side the dog's going to try and escape on the other." Embry chided with patience. Seth made to lunge out of the tub and there was nothing I could do about it. He was way too big for me to grab his neck and stop him from getting out. Instead, when he jumped out I fell into the metal basin right in the midst of dirty water and dog hair. I looked up and then Seth was on top of me, straddling me with all four paws. His face met my eyes and he lowered his huge body into a sort of crouch.

"What? You want your belly rubbed?" I giggled in delight and my hand didn't have to reach far to get to his chest. He was just that close to me. Suddenly his tongue lolled out his mouth. Once again I got up close and personal with huge incisors. I let my head fall back into the water in fright, but the Seth-wolf just licked me on my face. "Ah!" I chuckled playfully and then Seth's hot wet tongue trailed down my body to lick my stomach.

A huge growl erupted from somewhere to my left ripping through the calm spring air. I could have sworn it came from a werewolf, but when Seth cowered away from me I only saw Embry, still in human form. I didn't think something like that could come out of his throat, but apparently it did. His face was set in rage. His hands were curled into fists by his side as the muscles in his forearms bulged.

"Keep your paws to yourself, Seth." Embry snarled as he quivered all over. Only when he wiped his face over with his palm did he calm down a little.

"He was only having fun. It was nothing _bad_." I defended the still semi-frightened sandy werewolf.

"That's what you think." Embry muttered in a low and lethal voice.

Seth ran into the trees and Embry sprinted away right after him. I heard a few snaps of teeth clicking together, and then whimpering. Quil just shrugged when I looked to him for answers.

Embry emerged from the trees in wolf form while Seth didn't come back out at all.

"Where's Seth?" I asked in confusion, but the Embry-wolf just shook his large head as if saying 'Don't ask.'

I narrowed my eyes in annoyance, but grabbed the hose nonetheless to spray the Embry-wolf, who was already waiting patiently for me in the basin. By this point I was soaked completely and I stunk.

"Here we go." I grinned roguishly at him, but Embry's face seemed genuinely happy about his little bath. "I could start a business. What do you think of this name, Sophie's Wild Werewolf Wash? Kind of catchy, huh?" Quil howled with laughter and I noticed he sounded much like his wolf counterpart when it had howled before. Embry sort of gave me this weird hacking cough. I took it as a laugh. So I smiled at him brightly.

The thing that was different from all the others is that when I bathed Embry I actually felt comfortable. There wasn't fear underlying my thoughts about being in close proximity to a werewolf. I felt so safe that I actually jumped into the large tub with him instead of standing on the outside. It was a little cramped, but it was fun all the same. I'd duck under him to get his stomach and he'd follow me moving his head all around to look in between his front legs. I jumped up on his tall back to get everything properly. Just for good measure I washed him twice. I was having a little too much fun, so was he.

It should have been strange that I was caressing a wolf like a lover, but it wasn't. It was just Embry, in another form. Embry was Embry. I felt the wolf's nose trail down my body giving me little nudges and licks.

"That's it, I'm out of here." Quil yelled to us and stalked off with a disgusted look on his face. I laughed and hopped out the tub.

"You are finished. I think you got overtime." I stated in all seriousness, but Embry cocked his head to the side…as if I was missing something.

"Ugh! Embry!" I half-screeched, half-giggled as he shook out on me. I'd forgotten to towel dry him. Oops. "I get it! I'll remember next time, I promise!"

When he came back from the forest a man again he trotted up to me to give me a little kiss on my nose. "You can wash me anytime." He growled at me playfully and my eyes lit up. "As a werewolf of course." He amended immediately upon seeing my all too delighted expression.

I pouted. "So, why do you go into the woods to phase? I mean, I've seen you change before in front of me. It's not that big of a deal. I'm not scared of you." I asked him perplexed. Then I really thought about it, both Quil and Seth didn't have a shirt on. Today was probably the first time ever that I'd noticed all the other boys pretty much walked around bare-chested. Normally I didn't take my eyes off Embry.

Embry turned around with raised eyebrows. "Er, because we don't really have any clothes on when we're wolves, so when we change back…"

"Oh"

"Yeah,"

"In that case I really want to see you change in front of me." I told him in a silly high pitched squeal that I couldn't stop from escaping my lips.

"Stop it, Sophie." Embry massaged his temples and then shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts.

"Hey, is it later yet? Can we talk now?" I hinted at our previous conversation about a month ago. We hadn't talked about anything he promised, just like I knew we wouldn't.

"So," Embry cleared his throat loudly trying to drown out my pleading. "Now we just have to work on chores right? That was your other problem, right?"

"You are being unreasonable." I told him in the meanest voice I could muster, ignoring whatever the hell he was saying.

"I was thinking about a trick Quil taught me a while back." My comment didn't even faze him. So, that's how it was going to be? Fine.

"Do you know what _I_ was thinking about?" I asked him in a menacing tone. Still, nothing. He just continued on his rant.

"The way to take work…" Embry began.

"You should grow up…" I spluttered out in aggravation.

"…and make it seem fun…"

"…be a man..."

"…is to play music."

"…and have sex with me."

"_**What**_?" Embry thundered after he caught the end to my last statement. He turned around to stare at me in disbelief.

"You. Heard. Me." I chopped up every word and stood my ground. I was not letting him weasel his way out of this.

"Sophie, you don't know what you're saying."

"I think I know exactly what I'm saying."

"You are fifteen-" He started and began ticking his fingers off while he stated all the reasons.

"I'm almost sixteen." I cut in.

"It's a really big step, not just in our relationship, but in life. You won't be a kid anymore."

"I was never a kid." I dodged that reason easily, but Embry didn't look happy about that answer. "So lay it on me what's the last reason." I puffed out my chest trying to act like nothing would detriment my plan.

"You don't love me." He told me flatly. Yeah, except that little problem, my chest deflated. I literally watched those words fall from his lips and suck up all the air around us. The constriction in my chest was back. This was the moment I was waiting for. I could tell him now, because I did love him. My brain functions, or lack thereof, failed me though. Moments passed and nothing. I wasn't saying anything; he was looking at me with slight expectation. I failed him and he turned away in a huff. "Let's go then." Dammit.

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Embry told Emily that we would do all the cleaning for the day. He'd set it up with Sam so that Emily and her beau went out on a first date.

"Please tell me we aren't cleaning the whole house." I begged, whimpering slightly as I saw the mess that lay in wait in the kitchen.

"Then I won't tell you." He replied flippantly. He still wasn't in a good mood from our conversation about an hour ago. I didn't really blame him. I was disappointed with myself just for disappointing him. Embry brought out a radio and plugged it into the outlet. He found an oldies station and then flipped up the volume.

'_There's a place up ahead and I'm goin' just as fast as my feet can fly.  
Come away, come away if you're goin', leave the sinkin' ship behind._

_Come on the risin' wind, we're goin' up around the bend.'_

It's so true. Cleaning and singing to old songs you know is the best remedy. I'd never had this much fun in my life. I could have literally gotten abs from laughing so hard at Embry. At first it was a little weird because I was not about to be a fool singing and prancing around while dusting. Embry didn't share my sentiments. He'd sweep one section on the floor and then do some kind of stupid move that went out of style ages ago. I didn't pick my jaw up off the floor for some time. I couldn't stop staring at how much fun he was having. It was almost infectious. Almost.

Then as we were picking up the living room he came up behind me and wiggled around his hips with his arms in the air. I wouldn't have been more surprised if Oregon had announced itself as a separate country. He turned me around to grab my arms and started wiggling me around until finally I just started dancing on my own.

An hour later most of the house was clean the only thing we hadn't done was move the furniture back into the right places. Then the radio played one of my favorite songs of all time. I just had to jump on the couch and lip synched the words into a feather duster.

_Oh, what you want. Oh, baby I got it. Oh, what you need. Oh, do you know I got it? Oh, all I'm askin' is for a little respect when you come home. Just a little bit, hey baby._

If you can imagine a grown looking man singing backup as I towered over him on a sofa and teased him with my little butt shakes, then you can imagine the scene that Sam and Emily walked into. Their faces were torn between amusement and confusion.

"Should we clap or be frightened?" Emily said trying to muffle her laugh behind her hand.

"Uh, yeah…" Embry finally drawled after a few moments of silence.

"So the house is clean." I offered with a shrug before seeing the offensive feather duster/microphone in my hand and hiding it behind my back. I hopped off the couch to turn off the radio.

Emily and Sam still had troubled expressions when they walked into the kitchen, but they didn't voice their concerns for our mental well-beings whatever they may have been.

Embry sat down on the couch letting out a huge sigh. I looked to him asking him without words what was wrong.

"Patches, I could live that one down, singing ABBA not that bad because it's kind of catchy and after a while the whole pack ended up singing it, but _this_, I will never be able to show my face to my brothers ever again."

"Poor baby." I told him in mock-serenity batting my eyelashes and sitting on his lap to throw my arms around his neck so he would forgive me easily.

"Yes, feel sorry for me." He moaned placing his hand over his eyes and leaning back completely against the couch.

I bended in close, mere centimeters from his lips, before whispering "I could make things better." Embry's hand flew out and pushed me off his lap to the floor.

"_Fine, be sexually frustrated then_." I told him standing up to dust myself off. He groaned into the pillow.

**A/N: Sorry it's taken forever to update. My life has been absolutely insane. I enjoy all my reviewers and readers. You all are wonderful and the song is by Aretha Franklin!**


	17. Me Loving You

**A/N: Check my page for any updates on my other stories. Hope you like this chapter and don't forget to review please! Oh and btw the fluff in this chapter almost made me gag.**

It should be illegal for Embry Call to walk around without his shirt on. Kim and I sat on a stone bench licking our ice cream cones as the entire pack, minus Leah, played football in the national park. Sweatpants versus jeans, no one was wearing shirts.

"This is sinful." I murmured to Kim never taking my eyes off the field.

"I know," She moaned in desperation before shoving the ice cream into her mouth.

Basically it was Embry, Jared, Seth, and Brady (the team with sweatpants) against Quil, Sam, Paul, and Collin, (the team with jeans) they were all tied up. Each side kept scoring…and cheating. Luckily, Kim and I were here to be the referees.

"You were down over here and you know it!" Paul yelled right in Jared's face as he pointed about ten yards behind him.

"I was right here." Jared said unfazed crossing his arms. He didn't move.

"Compromise!" I shouted over to them. "Just meet halfway!"

Sam slapped Paul on the back with a silly little smile on his face. "You heard the referees, compromise." He chuckled silently to himself before lining up with his team. Paul snorted in aggravation, but complied nonetheless. They didn't argue with us. Life couldn't be any better right now.

I turned to Kim and told her something that had been bugging me in a completely serious tone. "Do you see that sort of V-muscle on Embry's stomach? I might blow up if I keep looking at it. I can't stand it Kim, I really can't. _I need him_."

Kim giggled and sighed apologetically. "I was there, believe me I know. I mean just look at the muscles on Jared's arms. That would make anyone, boy or girl, lose their minds."

"So, you and Jared…" I trailed off suggestively with raised eyebrows, but I was too afraid to lift my head because I was blushing furiously so instead I stared at my melting ice cream cone intently.

"Yeah, we did." She admitted after a few moments of just yells coming from the boys on the field. I looked towards her and I didn't have to say anything to prompt her into explaining. "Sophie, you have to understand what it's like for Embry. I know because it was the same for Jared. They don't want to push you into doing things, but they _do_ want it. You don't have to worry about that part." At this point Kim's expression was mingled with incredulity and embarrassment. "The thing is they just want us to be normal. You know, like everyone else. Yes, you've found your soul mate, but what if you were just dating him? Would you give yourself to him then?" Wow, this girl was pretty insightful. Kim gave me a meaningful look as if she'd proved a point.

"Yes." I said at first unsure. "Yes, I would." I told her in a stronger voice before looking out onto the field to find Embry. He was helping Quil up off the ground; chances were that he'd just tackled him or something.

"Why?" she prompted following my gaze. "Don't say because you're about to explode either."

I issued a derisive sort of noise out of my nose. "No! Not at all, it's because I love him!" I froze momentarily before slapping my hand over my mouth. I turned to Kim with wide eyes. Her face couldn't have been any smugger.

"Hm. Then what are you waiting for?" She looked back out across the field to give Jared a sort of wave. Jared called for a timeout and jogged over to Kim's side to lift her off the bench. She giggled happily and shoved the rest of her ice cream at his face. Well, she missed terribly so practically the whole left side of his mouth was covered in strawberry ice cream. "Here, let me get that for you." Kim purred demurely and licked it off his face finishing with a passionate kiss.

It was sickeningly sweet.

"Please, _please_, tell me you didn't waste a time out to kiss your girlfriend." Brady groaned from across the field his hands propped up on his hips.

"Nope, I'm going to kiss mine too." Embry grinned sheepishly as he walked over to me. I threw my unfinished ice cream on the ground to leap into his arms. I didn't care who saw us, hell Kim the shyest person I knew didn't care if she kissed Jared in front of everyone so why should I?

I parted Embry's lips with my still cold tongue to find his. It was a sort of solace for me when his tongue warmed me from the inside out. It really felt like he was warming my heart and in a sense he had. He'd taught me to love and be loved in return. How much more could I ask from this wonderful boy? My hands roamed over the broad planes of his shoulders then down the front of his chest towards his hard muscular abdomen. Slowly, he halted our kiss to a stop and I whined softly.

"I know." He whispered against my hair before pushing a few wind-blown strands behind my ear.

"I think the referees are a little biased." I heard Paul grunt to Seth in the background.

The boys went back to their game leaving Kim and I simply stunned.

"I think you should tell him." Kim said offhandedly and I knew exactly what she meant. I really did need to tell Embry I loved him, but I couldn't figure out a way to do it. Not unless he could trick it out of me like Kim. I didn't know why I was so afraid of saying this silly phrase, but maybe it was because if I said it out loud, then it was real.

"How?" I bit my lip thinking hard about my options. I was coming up with a blank.

To my surprise Kim answered me back. At least she didn't give me some smart ass remark like 'just say it'. She must know how hard it is to admit your feelings for someone.

"You'll think of something." She promised me. She gave me hand a reassuring squeeze before turning her eyes back to the game or more specifically Jared.

That night I had my routine nightmare, except this time I didn't wake up alone. I was wrapped tightly in Embry's arms as he tried to pin down my flailing limbs.

"Sophie, wake up!" He cried helplessly shaking me gently. I swallowed the rest of my scream to peek up at his horror-struck face.

"Embry? How did you get in here?" I croaked drowsily trying to shake myself free from his grasp.

"I just finished my rounds. I came here to tell Sam something and I heard you screaming your head off. I thought something was wrong so I climbed in through the window." Embry explained still visibly shaken and relieved that I turned out to be fine.

"Yeah, it's ok. It was just a nightmare." I swept my flowing hair into a ponytail before sitting up in bed to look over at him. He was literally radiating heat. I had to look away for fear that I might die from longing and wanting. "I'll be fine." I sighed and laid back down against my pillow, tucking myself into my comforter.

"Do you want me to stay until you fall back asleep?" I heard him ask through the darkness. I propped myself up on my elbows to stare at him.

"You would do that for me? Even after you've been up all night?"

"You are my number one, Sophie. I will do anything you want me to."

I choked back the sob threatening to break through. I had no idea why I'd wanted to cry at that moment, but thank goodness I didn't. That would be too much even for Embry to handle.

"Ok." I said and I felt rather than saw him lay flush up against my back. His huge hands stroked my hair in comfort. I had no chance. I was fast asleep within minutes.

The next night was pretty much the same deal. Embry was in my room once again, holding me against his chest as I awoke.

"Do you have nightmares every night?"

I shrugged. "Sometimes,"

"Why didn't you tell me? Is this why you've been so tired in class?" Embry was not happy that I'd neglected to mention this little problem to him. Honestly though, how stupid would that have sounded? 'Oh, Embry please help me I have nightmares! They scare me!' What's he going to do, fight my subconscious as well?

Embry stayed with me again that night and the next. I didn't know how much trouble we'd get in if he got caught, but Sam must know. He knows all. I didn't ask Embry about that and he didn't ask me about the contents of my nightmares.

I was eternally grateful for that because I'm not sure if I could lie to him and it would hurt him terribly if he knew what it was that was plaguing me anyway. The only thing I could do was to try and sleep.

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I spent forever waiting for a special way to say 'I love you' to come to me, but I had nothing and all the while Embry became utterly appealing.

I couldn't breathe when I was around him anymore. If I breathed I'd smell him, that soft scent of the woods and that spicy aroma of male. Physically he was just around me all the time and I couldn't stand it because I just wanted him so badly. I was ashamed of some of the thoughts I was thinking. I was sickened that I could just barely control myself around him. Embry seemed to have controlled his struggle a while back, while mine was barely beginning. I remember the first few weeks I was here, Embry's eyes would darken with a sort of hunger that was foreign to me, but now, well now I understood it all too well.

I was in love with Embry Call.

That was the only thing I was absolutely sure of in this lifetime. He was my light, my soul, or anything else that is the cheesy equivalent to being the one thing that was important to me. It wasn't smart. I shouldn't be in this deep, but I was far past the point where I could willingly choose to unlove Embry. I would never choose it anyway, but I couldn't if I tried.

It seriously didn't help that he snuck in through my window every night now to cuddle with me. I waited up for him instead of falling asleep and dreaming awful things. The funny thing was that when I slept with Embry, I never had nightmares, ever. Or really the few nights I did get to sleep.

Embry would come in lithely through the window after patrolling in only his cut off jeans and I couldn't help but gawk at his hard cut body. It was something I did nightly as he stood in all his glory in the pale moonlight. My eyes would start at his broad shoulders. That's when the blush would spread over my cheeks. Then they'd go towards his heavily corded arms as the muscles pulled tightly against his skin. I would shift uncomfortably and try to find anything else that didn't make me nearly burst, but no, then my eyes found the one thing that would make me go completely wild. That sleek little V-shaped muscle that started right by his slim hips, heading downward. I panted. Embry, however, didn't seem to notice at all. He'd just climb into bed and make me curl up around him, before long I'd hear his light snores. I couldn't sleep well because I just couldn't stop all the bizarre fantasies that played out in my head. I was so lucky I didn't have a werewolf pack that I had to share my thoughts with because some of them were downright embarrassing.

I had to stop this. The way I saw it I had two options. One, I could ask Embry nicely to stay away for a few nights because I needed time to myself. He would understand and I could catch up on my sleep, but I'd miss him. So much. I loved sleeping with him and he kept away my awful dreams. Plus this escapade involved excitement. Like Emily could catch us at anytime, though Sam most likely knew.

So I chose the second option that I'd come up with in two weeks. Seduction. Screw talking now, I was far past that point. I was on the border of delirium. No one can blame me for this, it was Embry's fault for being so damn sexy anyway.

I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to go about this, but I had an idea. This was going to be _good_.

I planned for it perfectly one night a week later. I covered myself carefully in a bath robe and waited in the bathroom connected to my room for Embry to enter as always. Near one in the morning I heard him clamber through the window and inhale a little too loudly. He'd probably noticed I wasn't in my bed. I looked in the mirror at myself, steeling my face for the inevitable. This was it. Now or never.

I slunk into the room to see Embry seated on the edge of my bed. He looked up at me upon my approach and he grinned like he always does when he sees me. I smiled back alluringly before walking up to him to place my trembling hand on his bare shoulder.

"Embry, is it ok if I tell you something?" I asked him using the same words he had that day in the woods. He straightened up in surprise before looking at me suspiciously.

"Sophie, wha-?" He stopped mid-sentence as his dark eyes widened in shock. I untied the fluffy bathrobe, dropping it to the floor, leaving me only in my red lingerie I'd bought awhile back with Kim.

I crawled into his stiff lap before bringing my lips right up to his ear. This time though, I forced the muscles in my mouth to move. I tried to trick them with my mind. I told myself this was a life threatening situation that Embry would leave me if I didn't tell him how I truly felt. Hey, it worked. "I love you Embry Call." I murmured silkily. It was the best I could do. It wasn't as wonderful as his proposal had been when he'd confessed his love to me, but he was the first person that I'd ever truly loved and I was new at this.

I pushed my lips into his trying to relax him, but he just didn't seem to be responding. I think he was in shock. I moved downward sucking gently on the small groove between his neck and shoulder.

Embry grabbed my wrists yanking me back so he could look at me directly.

"Sophie" he moaned hoarsely pleading at me with his eyes to stop. I didn't want to listen. I needed him. Didn't he need me?

"Do you…not want to with me?" I asked him quietly before twisting out of his grip and off his lap onto the bed. I didn't understand. He must have heard how pathetic I sounded because in an instant he was on top of me, covering my body with his scorching heat as he grabbed my wrists once more pulling them over my head.

"That is not the issue at all Sophie and you know it." He said in a low voice and one look at his features told me he was telling me the truth. It seemed like every inch of his face was full of wanting. It must have taken all his strength to not react to me like this.

"What's the issue then?" I asked him innocently.

"Well for one Emily…"

"Is with Sam. He's here tonight." I confirmed and took my chances on kissing him again. I yearned for his hands to be on every inch of my skin. His lips were so soft and inviting. Even if I wanted to I couldn't stop now. I felt Embry's resolve collapsing, though he was still hesitant.

"Did you just tell me you love me so I'd sleep with you?" He asked me earnestly. I didn't have to search hard to hear the hurt and shame underlying his tone. I couldn't even believe that he'd asked me that, but I guess it was a fair question.

I gasped in shock and looked at him straight in the eye so he could see the truth. "I would never, ever say something that I didn't mean."

"_Then tell me again."_ He growled huskily leaning forward, even closer to my face now.

"I love you." I felt his entire body shiver as he took in my words.

"I love you too, but are you sure Sophie? I mean really sure? This is a big step." He asked me seriously, hovering barely over my lips. Torturing me.

"Please." I begged and he released my wrists grabbing my head to pull it up to his. Kissing Embry and fooling around with him was one thing, but knowing that you had no limits, that you could go as far as you wanted without having to stop was another thing entirely. His walls had finally crumbled.

My red lacy bra was the first thing to go. Embry removed it with one hand, quite a feat, and I threw my head back in delight. His lips found my neck sucking it, caressing it as I had his, except every now and then he gave me little nips. I could hear the deep rumbling of satisfaction in his chest. That and the fact that I finally had my hands on his V-muscle nearly sent me over the edge all by itself. I needed him _now_. I wanted him _now_.

I was going crazy beneath him as he teased me mercilessly biting and sucking the most sensitive parts of my body. I couldn't get him to go faster though. He was savoring every part of me all the while nearly making me burst into tears.

It was so strange because for being so inexperienced he certainly knew exactly what he was doing. He knew how to tauntingly take my underwear in his teeth and drag it down my body slowly. He knew how to enter me slowly so I wouldn't be too uncomfortable, even biting me hard on my shoulder so _that _would hurt worse than any other part.

My soft whimpering had him whispering words of love in my ear. I held onto him for dear life as the soreness passed and I suddenly became an animal again. An animal that couldn't quench its appetite. I threw my head back against the pillow trying to pull Embry closer to me in every way even though I was so hot. It was scorching and it felt like the heat was just pouring out of Embry. The pressure from his feverish rocking had me losing my head completely. Embry covered his mouth with my own trying to muffle my wild guttural sounds. Sounds I wasn't even sure were coming from me, but they must have been because he was grinning like an idiot at me.

"You are _mine."_ I heard him rumble lowly in my ear. I saw his shoulder muscles tensing and untensing as he hovered over me, protecting me, loving me.

I must have been out of my mind or caught up in the moment because I literally felt like a werewolf's mate. I should have been aggravated at his words. His common reference of me as a possession, but I loved it.

"Then claim me." I managed to force out through gritted teeth. I swear, I think he started howling softly in my ear at my words.

Then I felt it. The paramount point of pleasure coming towards me at full speed. Embry seized my hips roughly pushing me into the mattress. I seized a handful of Embry's short hair, biting into his skin to control myself and to stay somewhere on this planet. My head swum in pleasure so much that I wasn't sure I was still in Emily's house, let alone earth. I quite literally felt like I was in heaven, no lie. I felt Embry start shivering over me and then bliss. For both of us. I felt every muscle in my body relax as Embry collapsed on top of me. He rolled off me, stretching his long limbs out on the bed. I was panting, wiping the sweat off that covered my face before I looked over to him to see him barely worn out. I felt like I'd run a marathon and he looked like he just had a relaxing massage or something. He was slightly flushed, but other than that he looked normal.

"You're…not…tired?" I asked him breathing heavily, barely getting the words out my mouth.

"Nope." He replied cheerfully before collecting me in a blanket and curling against my back. He propped his head up on an elbow and looked down at me in wonder. "So, that's the first thing you choose to tell me after you've finally gotten what you've been begging me for?"

"Point taken. Ok, here are my new first words." I cleared my throat and started again. "I love you, thank you so much for taking my innocence!" He just rolled his eyes at my sarcastic falsetto voice.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that you need to be gagged. Did you hear yourself?" He chuckled and I swatted at him playfully. He growled and curled his lip back at me in a teasing gesture. "You're lucky Emily and Sam didn't wake up."

"They're heavy sleepers. Besides you can hardly blame me about the noise. Where did you learn all that? I thought you were innocent?" I questioned him and turned around to see his face embarrassed.

"Uh" Embry scratched the back of his head looking away for a moment before looking back to me. "Being inside other people's heads has some advantages. A lot of the pack is well…graphic." I giggled endlessly at that admission.

"So, I guess the pack's going to know about this one then." I muttered a little bummed out. It wasn't like I wasn't use to the pack knowing my business, but it was something I wanted to keep between Embry and I. Even if it was for a few days.

Embry sighed and scooted closer to me. "I'll try not to think about. I promise I'll try, but it's going to be so hard not to you know." I moved closer to him now and nodded, accepting his promise. I nuzzled his nose against mine before giving him a tiny kiss against his lips.

"I love you, Embry."

"I love you, Sophie."

The pack knew. Embry had left me that morning to go patrol the borders again. I walked to school by myself, but during woodshop Quil kind of gave me this weird whimsical smile. I blushed furiously turning my stool away from him. I couldn't take it. He'd seen me naked. I hated that I got no privacy.

Lunch was nearly unbearable. Embry could barely look at me because he knew what he'd done. I reached for his hand to show him that it was all right, but he was still really wary. I don't think he liked sharing me with everyone.

Paul couldn't take his eyes off of me and even Jared snuck a few glances my way. Ugh and they probably even know about me and my noises! Oh my God. I wanted to pass out. Jared must have informed Kim what was going on because she took me to the bathroom with her to explain to me that things got better. Things always tapered off.

"What's the worst part?" I asked her truthfully and she looked me straight in the eye as she answered.

"Leah, when she comes around me it's like she knows my every little dirty secret every flaw because Jared does. She acts like she's so much better than me." Kim sighed and we walked back out to the lunch table. The other boys must have been teasing Embry because when we got back he was bright red in the face. That was a feat in itself. I'd had just about enough. Maybe if it was out in the open and the air was clear then it wouldn't be so unendurably awkward. I pulled Embry's chair out, letting it screech against the tile floor. Embry looked at me curiously until I slowly drew myself up on his lap.

"I love you, Embry." I whispered thickly against his lips before grabbing him to kiss me roughly. I pulled back breathless to see him smiling in shock. "So that's that. I hope everyone enjoyed the show." I muttered to the table and everyone stared back at me understanding the double meaning. They chuckled and shook their heads. Everything returned to normal or as normal as it could be for a pack of werewolves.


	18. A Not so Perfect Birthday

It was during my birthday that everything started to change. I noticed Embry was getting a bit antsy about something and I wasn't sure exactly why. Everything in our life was wonderful. Sure, Emily had banned Embry and I from staying home alone together anymore once Sam was forced to tell her what was bothering him all day. (Apparently Embry has very graphic thoughts) So that was sort of a problem, but not really. We just became a little more adventurous. There were a lot of long drives in the truck and a few walks in the woods. We even went to Embry's house sometimes when his mom wasn't home and I still got funny looks from the boys, but Kim was right. The awkwardness did eventually wear off _and_ I could finally, finally tell Embry that I loved him.

It was what I'd been waiting for. It's what he'd been waiting for. So for about a week I couldn't figure out why Embry was being so shady. He'd been making odd phone calls and hiding things from me. If I wasn't so completely sure of my relationship I'd say he was cheating on me, but luckily I didn't mention anything because this turned out to be false. He was planning something.

The day of my birthday arrived and Emily, being the kind-hearted person she is, let Embry into my bedroom to wake me up just this once. Emily conveniently left the house to go to the store, so who could blame Embry for _how_ he woke me up, but that's not really the point of the story.

"Is that my present?" I crooned to him as I let my fingers play with the ends of his hair. He'd been letting it grow out a little and it was longer than normal. His big hands traced patterns on my bare skin making me shiver in delight.

"No, but it was a good start right?" I had to agree with him. It was a _great _start. I kissed him softly on his lips to show my appreciation and shifted ever so slightly inch by inch until I was on top of him. He hugged me tightly and touched his forehead with mine to break our kiss.

"We have to get to school."

"I don't want to." I whined and moved my hands down the flat expanse of his bare chest. I knew exactly what I did want though. Round two.

"Sophie," He warned me warily like always and caught my hands before they could do some real damage and manage to circle lower.

"Fine," I said and an excellent idea came to me. I threw back the covers and pranced to get dressed completely in the nude. I'd finally managed to get my under garments on when I sensed him behind me. I had to bite back the smile as he pulled me back towards his chest. His breath grazed my ear as he lowered his head to suck my neck gently.

"Well, this is your birthday…" He tried to reason with me fairly as he trailed kisses across the width of my shoulders.

"And I get what I want right?"

"Don't you always, regardless of the date?" He murmured sweetly pulling us back to the bed. I fell on his lap while he tortured me in ways that should be made illegal, especially since it's my birthday. He was right though. I did get what I wanted in every way imaginable like he was inside my head or something, following everywhere my thoughts pointed. A kiss here and a small nip there. So perfect. So perfect _indeed_.

On the way to school Embry was unusually quiet even for his standards. He just reveled in holding my hand and sneaking glances at me. I wasn't sure what was going on, but it was all soon forgotten as the school grounds came into view. There standing in front of the main brick building was two figures so out of place it was comical. Anthony and Chetta stood head to toe in matching designer rain gear and umbrellas both shivering and each holding an expertly wrapped gift. It was all for me.

I screamed their names and ran not holding anything back as I embraced my past life with a huge hug from both of them.

"Sophie! You look so, well, grown up." Anthony says in a lilting voice and I pinpoint that he's picked up a fake French accent. His blue eyes look impressed as he gives me a once over before audibly whispering to Chetta "The Susie homemaker look works for her." I give him a shove and he takes a step back before Chetta gives me two kisses on the cheek and says "Don't listen to him _mon Cherie_ he's just jealous he doesn't have a wonderful boyfriend like you." In that moment Embry came up and grinned shyly.

"Happy birthday, surprise." He says abashedly and I can't help but think Chetta is right. He's out done himself. This was the best birthday ever so far.

"I'm not jealous." Anthony sniffs and looks away dramatically. Throughout the day they both followed me to my classes and they acted just the way I had the first day of school.

"That was barbaric!" Anthony shrieked at a pitch higher than I could ever reach after a particularly rough game of dodge ball and Jared gave Anthony a weird look. I couldn't tell if this was going well or not. Half the school seemed wary of the intruders and the others were just interested to hear what strange thing would come out their mouths next. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy Chetta and Anthony's company it's just it felt strange to me. It was like I'd been living in a fantasy world in La Push for months and suddenly they came and popped that bubble for me. I remembered that there was a whole other world out there. One I was missing. One I was more suitable for and more prepared for. After school Chetta, Anthony, and I went out to eat just like old times to celebrate. Embry insisted on just the three of us and since he didn't seem to mind neither did I. The restaurant wasn't up to par as Chetta commented, but as it was the best in the town it would have to do.

"Remember when Sophie slid down the banister to escape from the night patrol only to slide right into the Headmistress?"Anthony burst out laughing before taking a dainty sip from his glass of water. "Oh darling you must know how we miss you?"

"I know," I agreed. I hadn't felt like this, like myself, or my other self really, in months. It was like there were two Sophies. One who wanted to stay here and be with Embry forever and the other who wanted to be worldly and sophisticated with Chetta and Anthony. I couldn't have both though I couldn't.

"Come away with us then! Don't stay _here_." She looked around and swiped her fingers across the table just to test the cleanliness of the place. She shivered and wiped her fingers on the napkin folded elegantly in her lap.

"It's complicated." I whined and leaned onto my elbows that rested firmly against the table top. I had no objection to its dirt and grime. It just shows how much progress I've made. I used to be like them, it was barely believable.

"Uncomplicate it. I realize you have that delicious caramel slice of a man, but where is it really going Soph? There are a million fish in the sea. Many foreign." Anthony said before smiling to himself. He loosened his scarf a little and murmured "_luscious_". Sophie hoped that adjective was used to describe someone other than Embry.

"Don't worry, love, he's thinking of Jean Luc his main squeeze in Paris." Chetta giggled at me.

"That's just it though? He's my man in Paris, but nothing more than that. He knows that, I know that. See? Uncomplicated." Anthony explained to me and willed me to understand. I got his memo what he didn't get was _mine_. He and Jean Luc weren't hopelessly in love like I was. He hadn't been imprinted on by a werewolf.

"You are better than this, Sophie." Chetta told me sobering up from her giggle fit. "You are your parent's only child; do you think they want this for you? _Non_,"

"My parents couldn't care less and you both know that." I told them hopelessly. How long had they both heard me vent to them about the lack of love I received? The lack of attention? The less my mother knew about my life the better. Her maternal instincts had flown right out the door. They were thrown out and replaced by the love she had for her husband.

"Oh Sophie, but you don't know what you want or need." Anthony sighed taking his glasses (though he didn't need any they were just prosthetic) and wiped them diligently against his shirt before putting them back on. Honestly, he couldn't have spoken a truer word. I really didn't have any idea what to do except for the fact that I needed Embry and I needed to be free. Suddenly the small town phobia I'd had came back full force and I was afraid it wouldn't leave again.

Anthony and Chetta had left early the next morning. Their brief visit had made such an impact on me though. My mind was whirling through different possibilities. What was I going to do at the end of the school year stay or leave? I couldn't leave Embry it would nearly break me in two, but I would resent him if I couldn't choose my path to content my heart. I was so caught up in my own emotions that I didn't notice how skittish Embry had been. He wouldn't let go of my hand as if I were to disappear if he did. He waited on me hand and foot he gave me everything I could have ever wanted and more. It was almost unbelievable. Yet, I couldn't put on my finger why this seemed so off.

Maybe I should have noticed that a bit more than just Embry was out of place. Emily seemed near tears every time I talked to her and Kim seemed unusually hollow towards me, but these were trivial things to what else was running through my mind. What would I do in a month? Should I stay or should I go? In the end I never had to make the choice. It was made for me.

I remember it was a clear, bitter cold night in La Push even though it was late April. Embry had taken me back to our favorite spot on the beach. We looked out at the stars and the very air around me felt scared and stale. Embry trembled as his arms pulled me in for a tight embrace. He didn't just warm my cold body, he warmed my heart. He took me desperately as if he was trying to tell me something and the only thing I could do was kiss him back just as fiercely as he kissed me, if not more. I tried to show him how much I loved him in this simple physical act that had bound people for centuries to each other. He meant more to me than I could ever tell him so showing him seemed to be a good option. It was only when we'd gotten back to Emily's and I saw the black sleek car in the driveway did I realize everything that I'd missed. Embry was telling me goodbye, clearly our love wasn't enough to keep me here. He must know this and so he was letting me go. I looked up and out of the truck window just as my mother stepped out the car.

Her blonde hair was wound tight in a knot on her head pulling her face back to look years younger. I got out of the car not at all confused. I knew Chetta and Anthony had notified her of exactly what was going on. She didn't deny this when I asked her. She only told me simply that it was time to go back to my life as Sophronia De Lorme. I don't remember the parting words Emily told me or the even the goodbye, which I'm sure was heartfelt, from Embry. The numbness from shock seemed to fade though as we were driving off and I looked back at Embry as he stood with his hands in his pocket, an utterly desolate look on his face. I gently whispered his name as I saw him run and shudder all the way to the edge of the forest. I knew that was the last I'd ever see my beloved werewolf.

**A/N: Sorry that it's been forever since I've updated this chapter has been taking a while to get just right and it still isn't the best clearly as I've rushed things, but it's been annoying me so much that I'm just posting it as is. I hope you enjoy!**


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